tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197998282024-03-13T12:31:11.201-03:00Bart's Travel Blog : The never ending process of discovering Latin America."Bart's Blog gives an in depth and up-to-date perspective on travel in Latin America. Bart is a quirky travel enthusiast who knows the continent from back to front. His friendly advice on Travel in Latin America - specially in Peru , Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil is helpful, practical and informative.." Blogger's Choice AwardsBart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-91382168990667344612013-05-23T14:47:00.002-04:002013-05-23T14:47:15.840-04:00Peru > Colombia > Costa Rica: A Family Trip Ending in a Cross Continent Move<br />
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Landing on Juan Santamaria airport in San Jose with 24 hours delay, we were greeted by our close friend Esther, who had arranged for extra transport next to the 4x4 we rented, so we could safely haul our luggage to her house. Esther lives in Escazu, a beautiful suburb just outside the city of San Jose and it was great to spend some time with her and her family. We had also made arrangements with her to leave our suitcases in her house until we would come back to live in Costa Rica in August, so here we said our 8 month goodbye to a <span style="text-decoration: underline;">lot</span> of clothes…</div>
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After 16 years of living and working in multi-million people cities, both Karin and I have reached a point where we want to explore a different lifestyle. For ourselves and for our children we have been looking for a place to live that is more nature-bound, less crowded, less crazy, more laid-back and where life after work and school revolves around nature-bound activities focused on physical health and mental balance. We have looked at several places before aiming our guns at Costa Rica and within that country we finally decided that we prefer the Pacific coast, where we hoped to find that ideal combination of life-work-school. Karin and I can basically work anywhere, as long as there is a good internet connection and some sort of escape route to an international airport and we both have been fantasizing about living away from the hustle and bustle of a large city for a while. However, we are not alone anymore and whatever we decide to do has to be good for our girls, which means the decisive factor in the whole story is finding and being accepted at the right school…</div>
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We had a plan for the coming weeks, which consisted of visiting 3 locations in the country where we felt we would be happy to live and where we managed to find schools similar in standard to what our daughters are used to in Argentina. Karin had done some fine research before and managed to find 3 bilingual, Montessori schools with IB certification, contacted those, sent over our girl’s schoolwork and made appointments for interviews with each of them. </div>
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So, our route was fixed: San Jose – Tamarindo - Nosara - San Jose. After a few lovely days with Esther in and around Escazu, we loaded our SUV with what we thought we would need and took off for Tamarindo. Nicely enough Esther and her family had decided to meet us there for a long weekend’s holiday, which meant we spent our first days there enjoying beach life, renting surf boards (still really meaning to get the hang of this…), feasting on red snappers, driving around getting to know the area and imagining life here. </div>
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Here is a short description of Tamarindo I found on Wikipedia and which I feel needs no further explanation as to what attracted us:</div>
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<b><i>Tamarindo</i></b><i> is a town and distrito located on the Nicoya Peninsula on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Province of Guanacaste. The district has a population of 3,525, although the town itself is about 500. But it can swell to 5,000 people or more during the tourist season and during special holidays. The main attractions are surfing and eco-tourism.</i></div>
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<i>Playa Tamarindo is a long beach, with excellent waves near the mouth of the estuary. Currents can be strong, especially on a falling tide. Tamarindo has two main breaks for advanced surfers: Pico Pequeño a rocky point in front of the Hotel Tamarindo Diriá and the excellent river mouth break across from Cabinas Tsunami called El Estero. The rest of the beach breaks are perfect for learning. The biggest waves can get up to 12 feet, although only during November and December.</i></div>
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<i>Playa Grande beach is also where the Leatherback Turtle comes to lay its eggs. The leatherbacks take over the beach from November to April, digging their nests up to one meter deep, lay their eggs and cover the pit with sand, and return once again to the sea. After 60 to 90 days, the hatchlings emerge and immediately make their way to the water.</i></div>
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<i>There are other eco-friendly activities including watching turtles during their nesting season at night, diving, snorkeling, body surfing, zip-lining, estuary trips, horseback riding and fishing. During the December to April period when the water turbidity is low, fishing may be done from the shore.</i></div>
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<i>Tamarindo Beach, Guanacaste is the most accessible location along the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica with an airstrip. Scheduled daily bus service to and from San José, as well as surrounding communities, is available. There is also a paved highway from San José. The average time from San Jose to Tamarindo is 5 to 6 hours depending on traffic.</i><br />
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Once Esther returned to San Jose, we went and visited the school of our choice here, which was a great example of driven education. Really keeps amazing me how people can go to a place, fall in love with it and create a life out of seemingly nothing. I know we did the same, but in my book there is an important difference between doing the above for yourself and doing it with a more altruistic motivation. Setting up a school, bringing a level of education to an area and a community that did not have access to it before and slowly but surely creating opportunities for people whose parents never even dreamed of them, is quite a feat. The school we visited here is not only a well-worked out concept of exactly that, it thrives on the positive reactions within the community it got started in. Kids get “bussed in” from as far as 70 kilometers south of the school’s location, which not only means there isn’t any similar quality school in the wider surrounding area, but that people living in that wider area actually consider this school to be so good for their kids that they make the effort to have them go there. Having decided to move 15kms closer to our daughters’ school in BA, we know very well how difficult it can be not to be close to the educational facility where your kids grow up and find the source of most of their early social life. So, my hat off for this school (not mentioning it in public for personal reasons, but if you want to know, feel free to shoot me an email) and if you like living on the beach, enjoying a warm, relatively dry and sunny climate year-round, Tamarindo and surroundings might be a very good option for you.</div>
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We left the town with a good feeling, seeing our dream of living in Costa Rica get one step closer as we felt sure about the school, which basically was our final threshold for cutting the umbilical cord with Argentina and taking the leap of faith we had been thinking about for so long.<br /><br /></div>
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Nosara was our next destination, and here is what Wikipedia says about it:</div>
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<i>Despite the Nicoya peninsula being one of the last locations with large areas of unpaved roads in Costa Rica, Nosara is one of the oldest expatriate communities in the country, as well as a fishing and agricultural area.</i></div>
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<i>Unlike most coastal tourist towns, Nosara lacks nearly any development directly on the beach as much of it consists of the Ostional Wildlife Refuge (necessitated by the presence of breeding Olive Ridley and Leatherback sea turtle populations). Nosara is also a surfing destination and the location of a world-renowned Yoga school.</i></div>
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<i>The official town center is located 6 km inland from the beach. Within "Nosara town" is the market, pharmacy, post office, churches, school, police station, David S. Kitson public library and Red Cross clinic (Nosara lacks a hospital facility). There is a Banco Popular branch located in the small commercial area near Playa Guiones. In 2007, a new private school was opened with a bilingual Montessori and International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) curriculum.</i></div>
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I guess everybody has his or her own ideas of what life would ideally look like and my experience is that this view changes with time… We very much like all of the above.</div>
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<br />We have been in Nosara about 11 years ago and then already felt a strong “pull” when crossing the sandy roads, walking along the beaches and simply sensing the atmosphere. The same happened this time. We had decided to set up our base in a small hostel, tucked away in the woodlands on a hill in the Nosara Natural Reserve, 5 minutes walking from a small bay located next to Guiones beach.</div>
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We looked up a German couple whom we had met the last time we were here, and who were at the time setting up a horseback riding facility. After some digging around we found them and their new ranch, sitting on the edge of the beach, right next to the place where the Nosara River ends in the Pacific Ocean. Amazing Costa Rican criollo horses… man, each was more beautiful then the other… We decided to go riding for two days, making the best of our wait for the interview at the school. Two amazing days followed, during which we crossed lush forest in the Nosara Natural Reserve, rode through town, completely at ease in our gaucho roles and feeling like we already belonged there, and the best parts (well at least for me); going from a difficulty maintained standstill into a perfectly stretched running gallop over a pristine beach in the early morning, speeding along the waterline, leaving the horse to give it all it has, total release of energy… If you manage not to get thrown off by that first explosion of power when you allow your horse to take off, you are in for an adrenaline rush. It requires a bit of confidence and trust, and you need to not only know how to ride a horse, you need to become one with it, but holy cow, you know? I am sitting here 8,000km and months separated from those moments and I still get sweaty palms reliving them. Karin was still hurting from her two broken ribs as a result from the December trip in Corrientes and Edie was a little bit more careful than normal, so this was one of those few moments in which I actually outrode both of them (not usually the case I can assure you) and the macho in me had a blast, too.<br /></div>
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We all had a great time, even 5-year old Noa, riding by herself connected to our guide only by a piece of rope; I am so proud of her. Edie is an amazon in her own right and already rides as well as her mother, sometimes maybe even a bit better. She has no fear whatsoever, which in some cases we feel the need to instill to avoid her from completely forgetting everything around her and making her first bad mistake… But then when you see her go, merged with and in complete control of an animal 20 times her bodyweight, beyond the surprise that catches up with me when I have a good ride, simply because she grew up riding and this is genuinely normal to her… reminds me why we are moving away from the city. </div>
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Karin and I recharged our batteries here and it soon became clear that this is where we want to live: Nosara, a hamlet of maybe 2000 souls, spread out over this piece of the Nicoya Peninsula like pixy dust, connected by dirt roads and a strange intense social network, which we haven’t come to figure out completely yet. 20% of the people here are genuine “Ticos”; the rest is made up of 20 different nationalities, amongst which pensioners, movie stars, serial entrepreneurs, laid-back (former) surfers, yoga /dance & kickboxing teachers, singers/songwriters, restaurant & hotel owners, and a few long-distance workers like us. Can’t say I am not looking forward to this new episode in our lives.<br /></div>
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Next day we went to see the school and it too was what we had hoped for and kind of already felt it would be: An international, bilingual Montessori school with IB certification, part of the Blue Flag program, with 100 students divided over 7 grades, situated on a beautiful plot in the middle of the forest maybe 5 minutes from the ocean. Let me not go overboard on this one, as while I am writing this we still need to get a final confirmation that we are actually admitted, but in short it is exactly what we are looking for, plus the kids get surfing lessons as part of after school activities! I mean, awesome, or what? We had a very nice introduction to the school by the director himself, who showed us around the premises and the different classrooms, library, sports fields and the school’s own flock of sheep, doubling as lawnmowers. According to the director he feels our girls would fit the school system perfectly and he is putting his weight behind our application, so hopefully soon we will receive the word that we can start packing for real. We have already started, given that we leave Argentina end May to take an intermittent holiday to Kenya to visit some close friends and see the big 5, but it is weird to prepare your own Great Migration knowing that you are still waiting for a signature that could completely throw your plans out the window, if it wouldn’t come… But what the heck, we are good to go.</div>
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We have learnt to live in the now. Frustration, anger and sadness about the past and worries about the future are mostly useless time wasters; you can only do your best today. You can do so knowing what you have learnt in the past and what you would eventually like to achieve in the future, but in the end doing your best today is the basic gist of what it all comes down to, living life. We have given this step to Costa Rica every bit of positive energy we could have given it on any of the moments that it mattered. Now it will either happen or it won’t and we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Life turns out to have a certain flow and after having tried to manipulate and force that flow into the direction I thought it needed to go, I am now a lot more inclined to listen to it telling me where I need to go. Life is easier this way, a lot less cluttered, more focused and more productive, and on top I have a lot more time to be with my family, which is actually all that matters…<br /></div>
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Happy campers, we rented and intensively used a couple of quads for the following 2 days, doing some more exploring of the surrounding beaches and hillside landscape, eating out somewhere else every single day so by now we know where to buy the best ice-cream, bread, pizza, steak, etcetera. Knowing we had found the place for us and hoping it had found us too, we loaded the car and drove the 4,5 hours back to San José, where we spent a few last days with our friends before we hopped back on the plane to Lima and Buenos Aires. Another trip, another experience, another dream. Life is great.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Class Adventure Travel offers <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/" target="_blank">South America tours</a>
across Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Bolivia
currently. We're well on our way to adding Colombia, so stay tuned!</span></div>
Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-63845889250128232732013-05-08T10:19:00.003-04:002013-05-08T10:23:10.231-04:00Peru > Colombia > Costa Rica: A New Years Family Trip, Part 4<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Next morning we got up early as we had been told the nearby
beach was worth a walk. So after a light breakfast we made our way to the shore
(a 1,5 minute walk) and took a left. Pristine blue waters, crashing on the
beach in fairly large waves on one side, dense forest in all shades of green on
the other, white sand under your feet; cobalt blue sky over your head, sun
already powering up for another 12 hours of scorching heat, but a freshly
chopped coconut in your hands, straw and all, moisturizing your inner being
with its lush milk… nothing can defeat you, this is the life. Kids were going
crazy, running over the beach, looking for all kinds of building blocks for the
sandcastle I had promised to build with them and we walked on. Until at once,
we realized we were walking on a thinner and thinner strip of sand, ocean still
on one side, but the vegetation receding on the other, making room for the
Palomino River, flowing lazily down the Sierra Nevada foothills for its last,
reluctant push into the Caribbean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> Imagine: You sit on the beach, no notion of
the sea except for it crashing in waves on the shore at your back, and you’re looking
over this meandering sliver of clear mountain water, bordered by jungle on both
side, all kinds of herons standing in the shallow water while modestly sized
eagles soar overhead, both in search of fresh fish in abundance. And while you
take in this beautiful picture you slowly look up and as the sun warms up and
the curtain of clouds vanishes you see the silhouette of the Snow capped Sierra
Nevada Mountains, framing one of the most incredible natural landscapes I have
ever seen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">We basically did nothing more then sit here for three days,
basking in the sun (abundant fresh water supplies and factor 75 sun screen
existential!), talking, taking in the view one more time, cooling off in the
slow-moving river, while the kids ran around, building sandcastles, plunging in
the river and flat-out having fun. We managed to make a short, half-day
excursion, which almost dignified the fact that we spent three times more on a
4x4 then on a normal car, but we decided it was ok. The last days of our hectic
Colombia trip were spent in quiet relaxation and we drove back to Cartagena,
dropped of the car and flew back to Bogota renewed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Bogota delivered us our new Colombia Region Manager, Chris
(welcome aboard Chris!) and reconnected us to our long-time friends José-Luis
and Marcela, owners of See Colombia (look it up, it is great) and their
beautiful baby daughter Maria del Mar. We thought we’d only have one evening
with them, but faith decided otherwise. JL and Marcela are special people in
our lives, but life & work & plans had separated us for a while. This
dinner had been long awaited and was over too quickly for all of us. Apparently
that message was heard somewhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Next day, we had a nice long breakfast before being picked
up by our transfer, wedging all our suitcases in the van and heading out to the
airport. We walked toward the check-in desk, 2 carts full of luggage and gave
our passports to the lady behind the counter. I was already loading the first
of the suitcase on the scale, when the lady asked us, oh so politely, if she
could see out yellow fever vaccinations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Full stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Ehrm… we don’t have any, ehrm no, we forgot them back in
Argentina, ehrm, can we get them somewhere here on the airport perhaps?” “No,
sorry, they need to have an incubation time of at least 10 days for Costa Rica
to let you in. Sorry, next!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">What followed is not something I am prepared to share just
now, but let’s just say the lady behind the counter did not get to her next
passenger, eventually turned white and disappeared. When I finally located her
supervisor, she was standing behind her, holding up a copy of a page of the
Costa Rican Embassy website, the passage referring to the obligatory
vaccination already highlighted. I managed to ask how come we had not been
informed about this and the lady informed me the airline only had the
obligation to check if its passengers actually had the vaccination going on
board, not to notify them of the obligation to have one. Basically they are
over-selling seats, expecting a few unlucky souls to be bumped off the flight
anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe Colombia likes to
extend its slogan: “The only risk is that want to stay… or have to due to lack
of vaccination”. Anyway, stupid of us (and honestly, we have been bumped in the
past, due to wrongly stamped passports, out of date residency papers or because
we simply forgot to board on time, so the blame is entirely on us) and I went
to the ticketing desk to change our flight to the next day, heading a line of
people canceling their Costa Rica vacations. The simple fact that we did not
have to is that somehow we managed to find a doctor who was kind enough to see
us the next morning and taking the hastily faxed over copies of our actual
vaccinations for proof enough to write out new certificates. Thanks JL and Marcela!
Needless to say we found a van, headed straight back to JL & Marce’s
apartment, had a really great evening and made it onto the plane the next day,
no questions asked.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3LMquMuENSk/UYpdk1qOSZI/AAAAAAAAAc0/5Mcm16L7-vs/s1600/bogota-last-lunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3LMquMuENSk/UYpdk1qOSZI/AAAAAAAAAc0/5Mcm16L7-vs/s400/bogota-last-lunch.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Class Adventure Travel offers <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/" target="_blank">South America tours</a> across Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Bolivia currently. We're well on our way to adding Colombia, so stay tuned!</span></div>
Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-71681107182703280372013-04-22T16:42:00.000-03:002013-04-22T16:42:42.860-03:00Peru > Colombia > Costa Rica: A New Years Family Trip, Part 3<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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From Villa de Leyva we drove back via Bogota, this time in
the direction of Medellin. We did not go there however, but stopped about 125km
before at Rio Claro, a beautiful mini-reserve (well, about 400ha’s of it)
encompassing the Rio Claro canyon. Nature galore here, basic but very nice
accommodations and a world of fun for young and old(er). Pictures show much
more than words, but let me suffice by saying we walked a lot, swam a lot, enjoyed
a lot. Waking up in a room that’s half open, overlooking the canyon, the river,
the trees, to the sound of thousands of birds and other wildlife, fresh air,
sunshine and savoring the prospect of spending yet another day walking,
swimming, canopying, rapelling, rock climbing, or just sitting in the sun with
a cold beverage, watching your children having the time of their lives. Simply
enjoying all of that… Yeah it was work. HAHA.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When going here with smaller children, do take into account
that the river is not to be messed with. Current can at times be strong and you
need to watch over them at all times. It helps to be a good swimmer, too. Safety
is to a large account your own responsibility. Ah yes, to the dads out there,
there is this great way to impress your young ones… I suffer from a
sometimes-impressive fear of heights, which I largely ignore, but every now and
then gets the better of me, making me want to puke in the sight of
altitude-related challenges, such as the nice spot where you can jump off a
rock-face into the river. ‘Only’ 8 meters till you hit the surface, but those
among you who have what I have know what that means. Slippery rock, bunch of
children pushing each other on the edge of the cliff, the dark water of the
river hiding whatever rocks may be right beneath the surface… You know. Karin
and the kids are rather fascinated by adventure and they have no fear, or at
least no fear that I know of in that sense. Every day we walked past that cliff
and every day they had to stop and watch the kids jump off, into the water
below, and every day I died a thousand deaths and was basically miserable and I
guess a bit annoying to them... Until on the fore last day I decided this was
exactly what I decided long ago would not become an overly important part of my
life, that I would not let my fears become my enemy, not let them rule my life.
All nice and fancy thoughts, but reality does bite. Took me some pondering and
our last evening there was spent in rather unusual silence, not unpleasant, but
a bit surprising for Karin I guess. Next day we walked back from our last
venture into the canyon and upon passing by the cliff I gave our daypack to
Karin, told the kids to go and stand below and took a leap of faith…<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a good jump, too fast for pictures, so I have nothing
to prove it. But I was my daughters’ hero for a couple of days, which made the
2-day headache and the pain in my ears from the smack and sudden pressure of
the water more than worth it. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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From Rio Claro we drove back to Bogota, where we stayed a
few more days, interviewed two more people, one of which eventually would
become our new manager, and then took a flight out to Cartagena. We needed to
renew a few relationships here and change the way we organize transportation,
which went remarkably easily, so we shortened our planned 4-day stay to 2,
rented a 4x4 (yes we learned) and took off, destination Santa Marta.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A very nice, 4 hour drive, if you make sure to take the
I-90A out of Cartagena, via the airport and then all the way along the coast.
Much easier coming back as well… Founded in 1525, Santa Marta is the second oldest
city of South America. It’s location on the Caribbean coast and close to de
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains (where the Andes drop from an astounding
3,000masl into the Caribbean sea), as well as the amazing Tayrona national park
(where the jungle covered Andean foothills touch the sea shore) make it the
tourist center of the north of Colombia. A nice enough town, Santa Marta is a
harbor city as well, which in a way adds to and in another way takes away some
of its charm. It is definitely being taken care of though and since we last
visited here about 3 years ago, we saw many improvements to roads and
buildings. The sea front of the center is very nice, especially at day time,
but at night you still want to be careful where you go as not every street is
as friendly as the other. There is a series of very worthwhile boutique hotels
in that part of town, as well as a good choice of nice restaurants, breakfast places
(try Canoa) and juice bars to spend a nice 1 or 2 days here, before heading out
into the surrounding area. We stayed one night and moved on to Taganga, a
little, quit busy hamlet about 20 minutes northeast of the city. If it weren’t
for the mountain between them, Taganga would be another neighborhood of Santa
Marta. We had also been here before and apart from looking at a few new
accommodations, we basically hung out and did nothing but enjoy a few relaxing
days on the beach and eating out at the great view - great food Babaganoush
restaurant (managed by fellow Dutchman Patrick). Not sure how long he will stay
there, he told us he had plans to move to Medellin in a few years, so if you
are in the neighborhood make sure to stop by and say hello for me! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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After a few days we felt we were in for something new. We
had already visited the awe-inspiring Tayrona national park on our last visit
and we were running out of time, so we decided to follow up on a lead from
Patrick and make our way to Palomino, a good hour and a half further to the
north, just in the La Guajira province. Knowing we have to come back one day to
really explore this mystical province, we for now settled with a beautiful
hostel, run by an Italian group of friends, which at this point in time is the
only really decent place to stay, as far as I could tell. Very funny
experience, We were back in backpacker-land, with the same kind of people we
used to hang out with in our twenties, except for the fact that most of them
now were in their thirties and beyond, around 7pm everyone gathered around the
bar, but instead of hammering away on beer and smoking illegal substances,
tablets, laptops and smartphones were the poison of choice. Quiet conversations
accompanied really good homemade pizzas and by 1.00am everybody was in their
rooms, lights out, no sound to be heard. Odd, but kind of comforting as well…
We were not alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-87558100971592435222013-04-19T16:32:00.000-03:002013-04-19T16:34:13.733-03:00Peru > Colombia > Costa Rica: A New Years Family Trip, Part 2On January 5th we took a plane to Bogota and all went smooth again. Upon arrival we did not want to take our entire luggage into the city, so I tried to store the excess suitcases at the airport for the remainder of the Colombia part of our trip. However at El Dorado Airport they are not prepared for that yet: they can only charge per day to hold a suitcase and that daily charge is so high that for the 6 suitcases I wanted to leave for about 3 weeks the total amount would have been close to 2,000 USD. This deserved of a hotel upgrade and management allowed us to leave all our stuff there till we were ready to move on.<br />
The Colombia part of our trip definitely was not meant to be a holiday. We went to Bogota to open our 6th office there and select and install a new manager. Apart from that we had selected a few destinations in the country where we felt we need to reestablish our presence or which we had not seen before and wanted to connect to. Therefore it was not your typical holiday with children, this part, rather it was much more a work trip, with children. Interesting learning experience, as it is with most things regarding parenting. You can only read so many books, talk to so many people; in the end we really play it by ear, don’t we? Whatever your circumstances, you have to find a way to make it work for every member of the family. In our case, we took turns: one making sure Edie and Noa would have a good time while the other would be talking to lawyers, interviewing candidates or visiting hotels.<br />
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Bogota is a great city, but we had to be there a little too long for it to be fun for children. I would say 2, 3 days is fine. There are more than enough parks, playgrounds, etc. available (I especially liked the botanical garden), but we had to be there for work for a full week and that turned out to be a little much. We were happy as we were opening our new office in Bogota and were lucky to be able to meet with a host of highly motivated and qualified candidates for the Region Manager’s position, but for the kids we could have left a few days earlier.<br />
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When we finally left, we rented a car, with booster seats and a GPS, something that is still expensive in Colombia, but becoming more and more common. The country makes for really nice driving, if you stick to daylight and know how to speak some Spanish. Many of the roads are relatively new, lot of construction being done still and some roads are in need of a fix urgently, but generally speaking, the roads in Colombia are very good. Driving does take longer here than for example in Argentina. Where I can usually achieve an average of around 100kph in Argentina, this is halved in Colombia. This is due to roadwork, the mountainous nature of most of the land, and an impressive amount of trucks, consequence of a country that is on the rise. Safety isn’t a real issue, if you keep to the rules, which in this case means stick to the parts of the country that were declared safe to drive. There still are remoter areas where you should not cross alone or better not at all, but these you will find in many countries in the world. Just inform beforehand and you will be fine. The roads that are declared safe are patrolled by friendly military, who go out of their way sometimes to make clear that they are there for your safety. Once you get used to that, driving in Colombia is a breeze. Ah yes, one last detail here: Finding your way.<br />
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Tip 1: our GPS practically always took us the wrong way, every time we used it. Later we found out that it was programmed to “shortest” route, which brought down the amount of goat trails we were suggested to take a lot, something our little Kia Rio was very happy with. Still, final destinations were hardly ever reached using only the GPS. I guess properly mapping a rapidly developing country is not the easiest of things. However, with our iPhone / Google Map apps we did get a lot further, especially if we planned the journey in the hotel where we still had wifi, so that the route stayed programmed in the app. While driving, even without cell phone reception, the built in GPS kept us on course. <br />
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Tip 2: When you drive back to Bogota yourself and want to get back to your hotel without loosing lots of time, best thing is to simply stop a cab driver and ask him/ her to drive ahead of you. They usually want one of you to sit with them in the car as to assure payment, but it’s the best way to make it to your hotel through the myriad of Bogota’s closed, blocked or rerouted streets and avenues. We actually do this in many larger cities, when GPS turns out not to be up for the task.<br />
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We made our way to Villa de Leyva a beautifully preserved colonial town a little over 200km North-East of Bogota. We had been here before, so it was nice to walk down the cobble-stoned streets and see what our daughters still remembered from it. After we had made some work-related agreements with one of the hotels we work most with here, we could do some exploring of the town and its surroundings. Villa de Leyva is a very nice place to just ‘be’ for a couple of days. Beautiful colonial architecture, nice little tucked-away restaurants, an amazing plaza central and an overall very nice climate make it an ideal stop en route. Not too far from the town, we visited “Jurassic Park” (the name is Parque Gondava. Ask for the Dinosaur park; interesting place, great for the kids), located close to the less entertaining (in our experience) ostrich farm (although our perception of it is maybe a bit tainted due to the fact that one of those birds picked Edie’s hand last time we were there…). There are several more museums and other fun places to go to, check trip advisor! Sad enough we could not do some of the more ‘off the beaten path’ visits we wanted to do due to the fact that we had rented a relatively low-by-the-ground car, great for tarmac, bad on the goat trails. Better next time!<br />
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Let us know if you'd like to be the first to know when we include Colombia in our <a href="http://cat-travel.com/" target="_blank">South America tours</a>!<br />
<br />Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-7567575243934407792013-04-09T14:17:00.000-03:002013-04-09T14:19:42.752-03:00Peru > Colombia > Costa Rica: A New Years Family Trip, Part 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Hi there,<o:p></o:p></div>
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It has been a while! Time to get back on the writer’s block,
or better said, off it…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since my last entry (which I cannot even track on the page
anymore, I am a disgrace of a writer!) we have traveled a lot, seen many places
and our kids have grown. Edie is now halfway 9 and Noa is 5,5 already. Time
indeed flies…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me begin with our last trip. December 30<sup>th</sup> we
flew from Buenos Aires to Lima, the start of an 8-week trip that took us
through Peru, Colombia and Costa Rica.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2012 had been a strange year for us; it was hectic,
unpredictable and kind of tough. In other words, we were happy to leave it
behind and celebrate New Years Eve in Lima, starting a fresh new 2013.</div>
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First lesson: make sure to get some rest during the first
part of your trip… old lesson actually. I remember my dad and mom having it out
in the car on the first days of our annual vacation trips to France, so nothing
new, but still as present as it was then. Both parents and kids usually have a
busy period right behind them and the first days of the trip are bound to be a
bit bumpy. Our week in Lima was relatively quiet, spent in the house and
company of our very good friends and former neighbors, Hans & Yvonne. </div>
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Of
course we could not resist going to our office a few times, but we managed to
relax enough and apart from Karin’s ribs (she fell off a horse during one of
our outings only a week before we took off) causing her some sore moments, the
week passed relatively uneventful. New Years Eve was one of the more quiet ones
in my life as well, which suited me fine; after having spent the last 22 years
going at 150mph, I kind of begin to like the quietness of things. We were 10
people in total, had dinner on the deck, then shot some fireworks off of the
roof terrace, had some fun conversations, smoked many a cigar, and I think we
were all in bed by 2am. I cannot remember a new years day waking up as relaxed
and rested as I did this year.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We traveled with 250kg of luggage, as we have decided to
move to Costa Rica later this year and wanted to already forward some of our
stuff there, so we had made sure to travel business class (which if you play it
right almost pays itself back in baggage allowance) and arranged for transfers
into and out of every airport and hotel during the entire trip up till San
José. That was a wise move, as traveling with 2 kids, 8 large suitcases & 6
pieces of hand luggage can be a bit of a challenge. As was proven when we tried
to leave Colombia, but more about that later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-42638800893390346592011-09-28T12:29:00.003-03:002011-09-28T12:39:37.502-03:00Part 4 - Colombia in a 1968 Volvo Amazon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-US">South America Road-trip in an old-timer<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> A summer breeze warms my face as I look out from the old
fortified city wall across the skyline of the new part of town. Cartagena de
Indias, can you think of a better name for the place where we were to end this
fantastic trip? A great finish to a great tour, but also a confirmation of my
feelings about a country that has been longing to be discovered for over four
decades. I visited Colombia for the first time in 1991 and was instantly won
over; the nature, the colonial cities and the people... especially the people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The next day we left our hotel at 10am for a 400km drive to
Medellin. We had already heard that the first part would be relatively flat,
then more or less sloping up until Manizales, and from there a final pass of
3,000masl just before Medellin. The road started out perfectly smooth, even
turning into a four-lane highway of sorts after the first 25km. Intervals of
two and four-lane roads, and road-works kept us on our toes, and it became
clear that by next year this entire stretch would probably be much faster to
traverse. We reached Pereira and entered the famous coffee region of Colombia,
one of the more prosperous parts of the country. The region is one beautifully
green and fertile land filled with coffee plantations doubling as hotels. One
can spend a good time here between the picturesque towns of Pereira and Armenia,
relaxing at the haciendas, learning all there is to know about coffee and enjoying
the splendid natural surroundings. We sadly did not have much time to stop, but
luckily I had been here before (see a few blog entries back).</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">We pushed on toward Medellin, which was still quite a long way off.
We were experiencing some minor problems with the car. The passenger window had
sunk into the door and decided it did not want to come up again, whilst dark
clouds were gathering in the sky above us. The “Amp” light was on again,
meaning we were once more driving without charging the battery, and the Volvo’s
loyal engine was having difficulties adjusting to the climate and had started
to heat up. We stopped at a gas station upon leaving Pereira, filled up our
tank and provisionally sealed the window using an old raincoat and a lot of
duct tape. As the rain started pouring out of the sky, we ordered and devoured
one of the best hamburgers on our trip in the station’s cafeteria. This
combined with really great service and one of the most impeccable toilets ever
seen anywhere, let alone in a gas station, caused Johan to officially baptize
the place as one of the very best pit-stops along the entire South American
Pan-American Highway. And I think he was right!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Stomachs filled and window temporarily closed we drove on. Though
half of our challenges were taken care of, the battery and overheating problems
persisted. However, anyone who has driven an older car before knows that an
overheating engine can be dealt with, at least temporarily, by turning on the
car’s heater. That said, the fans that transport the hot air from the engine to
the passenger compartment do so by means of electricity, so when your engine
problem is combined with a battery charging issue, then you are kind of
screwed. On the road to Manizales we were stopped by another one of those
unexpectedly friendly police officers, who wished to see our papers. We killed
the engine and did as we were asked. After a nice conversation we were told we
could move on, but of course our battery was as dead as could be. Without much
ado the police officer stopped another car and ordered the driver to help us
jumpstart the Volvo, which was taken care of without questions and with much
friendliness and ease. As we stood there with our heads under the hood of our
1968 travel companion, I had a closer look at the electrical wiring. I followed
one of the wires that seemed to come from the alternator to one of the
fuse-boxes and opened it. It seemed like one of the fuses was kind of dirty and
not plugged in as tightly as it should be, but that was nothing a Swiss army
knife and a band-aid from our first aid kit could not resolve. I have never been
much of a McGiver, but the “Amp” light did not bother us anymore after that.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">What with all the pit-stops we had kind of fallen behind schedule
and had to make haste. Around 5pm, dusk set in just as we were headed back into
the mountains. We had one last pass to conquer before we would be able to
descend into Medellin. With the day fading, we found ourselves on a meandering
mountain road littered with heavy trucks, slowing us down quite a bit. The car
was not happy with this at all, and as well as having the now perfectly
functioning heater at full blast, I had to resort to hitting the clutch, brake
and gas pedals at regular 20-50m intervals to make sure the engine ran enough
rpm’s to keep itself from boiling over. The last 25km were kind of tormenting,
the temperature inside the car was around that of an over-eager Swedish sauna,
and there was no way for us to escape the huge traffic jam slowly creeping down
the hill into Medellin. We eventually reached the city limits around 8pm, but
due to the maze of one-way streets that managed not to match with our map at
all, it was another hour and a half before we finally found our hotel in the
old city center. Old indeed, as our hotel, built in the 1940s, seemed not the
have been touched since. We didn’t even bother to have dinner, but located our
copper grandma beds and crashed straight away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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We checked out one early Sunday morning, and without having seen one
bit of the much-heralded city of Medellin we hit the highway at 6am and made
our way towards Cartagena de Indias. We had been informed about yet another
3000m pass we would have to cross 200km after leaving our hotel, and with
another 500km to go after that, so we did not take any risks this time. The
early bird factor, and the fact that it was Sunday and this is still a catholic
country, made for sparse traffic (apart from many sinning cyclists) and we
conquered the pass around 11am. After this point we descended easily into the
next valley, which would be our stomping ground until reaching Cartagena that
night. We made good time and even though we had left the mountains behind us
the landscape was attractive and varied. We encountered very little traffic
throughout most of the rest of the trip, and sometime around 4.30pm we only had
150km to go before Cartagena. Here we encountered a little more traffic and saw
the damage done by the high waters of the past weeks. Colombia is graced by
three Andean mountain ranges, intersected by three large rivers, all of which end
in the Caribbean Sea near Cartagena. As all three of them had been processing
much more water than normal, they had simultaneously overflowed, flooding many
villages in the area. We passed numerous houses under water and crossed various
bridges on the verge of being inundated by the huge mass of water surrounding
us. Parts of some of the bridges had already given in, but we managed to cross
them and drove into Cartagena through little back streets around 6pm. Of course
we got neatly entangled in the evening peak traffic, but we did not care. Cartagena
is a beautiful city, and we were happy to slowly finish the last part of our journey,
savoring the salty air of the Caribbean after 10 days of hard driving all the
way north from Lima. We eventually made it to the Hilton, our hotel for that
night, located in the new part of town and looking out over the Caribbean Sea.
A feeling of euphoria came over us and we lost very little time parking the
car, stuffing our luggage in our rooms and cleaning up just enough to be
allowed into the Café del Mar in the old part of town. A nice and cool place
located on top of the fortified wall surrounding the old city, with spectacular
views of both the city and the sea. Nothing could taste better than a couple of
ice-cold beers to finish off yet another unforgettable trip.</div>
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The next day, December 20<sup>th</sup>, Johan took the Volvo to the
harbor from where it would be shipped back to Europe. Just before he left we
said our goodbyes, as I would fly back to Lima that same afternoon and from
there to Buenos Aires the next day. I was going to arrive in Peru around 1am
and had arranged for a room in the Ramada Hotel at Lima Airport to catch as
much sleep as possible before my 10am ongoing flight to BA. Of course my life
would not be what it is if it had not thrown me one last little curve ball in
the form of my old fried Guillermo Gomez, a pal from the early days in Peru,
who had moved to Venezuela a long time ago, but who happened to be in Lima and
decided it was time to pay me a short visit, even in the middle of the night.
This is how I ended up in the hotel lobby drinking double pisco sours with a
great friend until the wee hours of the night, missing my flight that next
morning and almost arriving too late for Karin’s birthday the next day… Luckily
everything was planned well ahead, so when I finally touched down at Ezeiza
Airport at 7am on the 22<sup>nd</sup>, my father was there to pick me up, while
my visiting sister and my daughters had already arranged a beautiful breakfast
in our garden. Karin just walked down the stairs when I entered the front door.
“Ah, you’re back,” she said, “just in time!” We hugged and life was simply
great.</div>
</span>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-72493893229793587572011-09-20T15:31:00.002-03:002011-09-20T15:31:54.881-03:00Ecuador to Colombia in a 1968 Volvo Amazon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After leaving Ecuador at Ipiales we entered Colombia, and when the torrential rain had subsided, we continued along the road to Pasto. We were not sure how the road conditions would be, but we needn’t have worried; it was in mint condition, recently asphalted and smooth as silk. We traversed through a spectacular, green and mountainous landscape, regularly passing waterfalls and enjoying views of fertile valleys. Both Johan and I have seen quite a bit of South America, but this was one of those moments when you are simply struck silent, taking in the awe and savoring it. Probably it also had something to do with the fact that we were driving into a country that until recently was considered too dangerous to visit, let alone drive through, and we were entering one of the areas still marked “grey” on the safety map of Colombia. The overwhelming natural beauty, and the peace and calm that the countryside beamed back at us simply did not marry with that cautious warning, or with the enormous road signs showing Colombian Special Forces with heavy weaponry and futuristic war-helicopters, which were, supposedly, protecting the area. We never saw anything even remotely resembling military, apart from a couple days later when we saw troops helping people out in the flooded areas to the north. The road was as safe as any we’d driven down already.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We reached Pasto at nightfall; a relatively small town in the mountains (150k inhabitants). We arrived at our hotel after an easy cruise through the town, parked our car in the garage and went for a short walk. During our walk we stumbled upon an impressive and surreal Christmas garden; an enormous stable with figurines belonging to the Christmas story, some of them higher than the actual buildings surrounding the park, and most of them decked out in rainbow neon lights. Large amounts of people roamed the park, stopping to buy things at stalls selling food, beverages and a wide array of religious objects. Again an unexpected and beautiful moment, enhanced by the warmth of the people we would learn to enjoy Colombia for.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning we left for Cali. The sun was already beaming in the sky and before we knew it we were out of town and on the Pan-Americana Highway again. According to the owner of the hotel we just left, the road to Cali would be more mountainous and in some parts would be of worse quality, mainly due to the fact that lately this part of the country had seen a lot of rain and there had been several landslides. Still the entire stretch for today was only 380km, so we felt that making it to Cali before 5pm should not be too much of a challenge. The first part of the trip was mountainous indeed, sloping down from Pasto at 2500masl to more tropical surroundings at 700masl. Colombia seemed to be much more densely populated than the other countries we had passed through thus far and the road was busy with all kinds of traffic. Especially the large amount and great variety of trucks brought our traveling tempo down significantly. The scenery was pretty and we took our time, stopping to take pictures and enjoy the views whenever we felt like it. Even so, the road was in good shape and we expected to make it to beautiful Popayan around 1pm for lunch, but that turned out differently…</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Closing in on Popayan the road got hillier, and while we were cruising along the winding tarmac, all of a sudden we ran into a long line of vehicles. This of course happens from time to time, when roadwork is being done and one lane is closed off. During regular intervals traffic from one direction and then the other is given priority to take the lane left open. This was a different situation however, as we saw no traffic coming down the mountain and could not see where the jam started. Eventually we turned off our engine and got out of the car, just like everybody else. Our Volvo drew attention as usual, and several people came walking along for a friendly chat. Johan got talking to the owner of one of the cars in front of us, who was also en route to Cali, and meanwhile I went for a walk to find out what was causing this unexpected stall. I walked for a good 20 minutes and still hadn’t reached a point where I could see what was going on. What I did see were a couple of empty sand trucks coming down the hill looking like they had just unloaded. After some asking around I figured out that there had been a large landslide uphill and that the entire road had disappeared. The trucks coming down were the first of a series that had been commissioned from higher in the mountains to bring sand and rocks to fill in the missing part of road. Apparently these had already managed to cross the gap, so I started walking back to Johan and our car. When I arrived Johan was standing with a Colombian baby on his arm, salsa music blaring from the Volvo’s powerful speakers (the Xplod car stereo was definitely no old timer) and people smiling, dancing and taking pictures all around. Nice stop! We shared some snacks and water with other drivers and finally the first cars and motorcycles started coming down the mountain.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It still took a long time before we were could start driving again and in the end the whole episode took four hours out of our driving day. Lunch in Popayan was not an option anymore and we pushed on straight to Cali. During the wait we were approached by an elderly gentleman, also on his way to Cali, but by bus. He was on his way to visit his family there, but the bus ride would take him through Popayan where he would have to change vehicles and lose many precious hours, so he asked if we needed a guide to get us into Cali city in exchange for a ride. We said ‘no problem’ and that turned out to be a lucky move. Cali has over 2m inhabitants and we had no clue how to find our hotel. Funny enough our passenger happened to live very close to the hotel and as he knew the town like the back of his hand. It took us about 10 minutes to traverse the myriad of highways and little streets to arrive around 8pm to the front door of our hotel. We said goodbye to our passenger and ran into the bar for a few cold beers before retreating to our room with two super king-size beds for a good night’s sleep. Another day full of warm, spontaneous, exuberant and friendly Colombians and their beautiful country with spectacular landscapes, managed to send us to the land of dreams in a matter of seconds.</span></div>
Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-31312906511331956832011-09-08T11:36:00.002-03:002011-09-08T11:38:10.382-03:00Part 2 - Ecuador to Colombia in a 1968 Volvo Amazon<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Ecuador is a nice country to drive
through in your own car. After having made it without problems to Loja and on
to Cuenca, we were headed to Quito, the capital of the country. In Quito we
planned to stop and take a rest, but before that we had to cross 450km along
the ‘avenue of volcanoes’, a route that promised some spectacular views. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">We wanted to leave Cuenca on time to make
sure we’d have enough time to take the drive easy and stop for some picture
taking. However, we were confronted with a slight electrical challenge. The car
battery was not charging and after checking the fuse-box and wiring we decided
it had to be the dynamo/generator. We asked one of the hotel’s drivers to give
us a jump-start and for directions before we drove to a near-by garage
specializing in car-related electricity issues. The owner took one look at our
beautiful Amazon and decided that he would help. It took him about 15 minutes
to disconnect and take out the dynamo, another 15 minutes to completely take it
apart, clean it up and find a small part being worn out to the bone, for which
he of course happened to have an Eastern-European-made generic spare. Putting
it all back together whilst charging our battery to the max took another 30
minutes, and the total operation cost us about 15 USD. Even so, we did not
leave Cuenca before 1pm and so we prepared for a late arrival in Quito. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The first part of the route was very
hilly, full of hairpin bends and in bad condition. On top of that, a thick fog confirmed
our feeling that this would become a long day, but after passing the town of
Alausi, just like a couple of days before, the mist disappeared as we drove
into a wide valley and onto a beautiful 4-lane highway. The odds had changed to
our favor. During the last part of the journey we hit the Volcano Avenue, and
the landscape was indeed spectacular. We managed to get a glimpse of
snow-capped Chimborazo; the highest active volcano in the world, and we saw
clouds and gasses rise from the Tunguragua Volcano. Sadly, around these parts
the sun sets around 6pm, so we missed the perfectly cone-shaped point of the
Cotopaxi. We eventually made it to Hotel Quito at 8pm, which given the hectic
ride into the city, wasn’t bad going at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Hotel Quito is situated in the La
Floresta neighborhood, a nice part of town from where one enjoys a beautiful
view over the city. The next day was our allocated resting day, so we took it
easy and both decided to visit our local business partners. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eL8vPg0MBi4/TmjS36Ldc-I/AAAAAAAAAYI/GLrSXZk-C2E/s1600/164296_186406681369342_120527597957251_722904_1914769_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eL8vPg0MBi4/TmjS36Ldc-I/AAAAAAAAAYI/GLrSXZk-C2E/s320/164296_186406681369342_120527597957251_722904_1914769_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Thursday we made our way toward
Colombia, crossing the equator en route. We left at 9am with the sun high in the
sky and it promised to be a beautiful drive. From our hotel we made it
relatively quickly to the highway, taking us out of town before we knew it.
Whilst driving further north and away from Quito the landscape turned dry and
rocky around us, completely different to what we had seen before in Ecuador. We
passed some of the many rose-nurseries this region of the country is famous for,
and in which the Dutch have made some heavy investments, and after about 40km
reached the equator. First we made a stop at the ‘previous equator’, initially
indicated by the Inca people as the line where the earth is at its widest.
However, correct GPS measurements indicate that the ‘real equator’ lies about
30m further north, so we were obliged to make another stop at the official
monument placed there a couple of years ago. We did not spend too much time
here (I lived in Ecuador for half a year in 1994 and have been to this spot
many times before) and drove on. We had a long way to go still and had no idea
how much time we would need to get to the Colombian border. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gEuaRYFdkXg/TmjRpifHOFI/AAAAAAAAAYA/Vd46y2N34zM/s1600/163289_186406611369349_120527597957251_722901_8310335_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gEuaRYFdkXg/TmjRpifHOFI/AAAAAAAAAYA/Vd46y2N34zM/s320/163289_186406611369349_120527597957251_722901_8310335_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">On our way we passed through the towns
of Otovalo and Ibarra. Otavalo is famous for its textiles and the huge Saturday
market. The indigenous people are proud of their legacy, much stronger than many
other indigenous people elsewhere in Latin America. They are happy to
demonstrate where they come from through their costumes; this is one of the few
places where one still finds men as well as women fully dressed according to
the local codes. We drove on and passed a beautiful green valley, a lot lower down
and warmer. Sugarcane was the main crop here, planted by the Europeans soon after
their arrival. The Europeans brought many African slaves to work the
plantations and therefore this still is a mainly black region, which is
something one would not expect driving through the Andes with its typical
indigenous people. The sun was strong and we enjoyed our trip to the Colombian
border, arriving there at around 3pm. Without warning, the 2-lane road we were
driving on turned one-way leaving us no way out of an enormous traffic jam; it
seems there were other people wanting to get into Colombia… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">After about an hour in the queue the
weather changed; clouds appeared in the sky and slowly but surely it started to
rain harder and harder. At some point it felt like there was no space between
the huge drops anymore. For some reason our car was not washed of the road and
we slowly crept toward the border facilities where we had to get out of the car
and were soaked in a matter of seconds. Paperwork went smooth, helped by the
laughs and giggles we caused running from window to window, leaving puddles
everywhere we went. Colombians like a good laugh and we realized we would have
a good time in this new country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1LlJ6ByoBcI/TmjSEoFPc9I/AAAAAAAAAYE/9cSUn0amBF0/s1600/74615_187967467879930_120527597957251_738038_1524970_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1LlJ6ByoBcI/TmjSEoFPc9I/AAAAAAAAAYE/9cSUn0amBF0/s320/74615_187967467879930_120527597957251_738038_1524970_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Amazon was not prepared for the
amount of water we brought back in and her fans did not manage to clear our
windscreens, forcing us to drive on while constantly polishing the glass on the
inside, with our windows open, allowing more rain in. One of the customs officers,
between great outbursts of laughter about our appearance, had given us a golden
tip; when your windshield wipers cannot process the amount of water falling out
of the sky anymore, put on your darkest sunglasses; for some reason, they break
the light filtering through the film of water on your windscreen, creating an
almost perfect view again. Sounds odd, but we tried it and it works… kind of.
Only do this when nothing else helps and you really have to push forward, and
then only at a very low speed, as the images are distorted enough to create
accidents, but it helped us get out of that valley and onto dry land back on
the road to Pasto.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-48100436816110893832011-08-23T10:07:00.006-03:002011-08-23T10:18:43.066-03:00I AM<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">Sometimes I<span> like to use my blog to share with you inspiring things that I have seen or heard</span>. This documentary<span>,</span> which many of you may already have seen<span>,</span> really <span>struck a chord</span> in me<span>,</span> somewhere so deeply hidden that I had forgotten it was there, and I have only seen the trailer thus far... <span>I am now f</span>rantically looking for a place<span> where I can</span> see it or<span> </span>(legally!) download it<span>.</span> I leave you with the official description of the film, the trailer and the hope you will go and see it<span>, pass it on,</span> and that it will change your lives too. </span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; " >Happy trails, Bart</span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; ">.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; "></span></p><p style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; "></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;">
<br /></span></div></span><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PeqB8JwpdE4?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></span></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; ">
<br /></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">I AM</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; "> is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? </span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “Bruce Almighty.” However, in I AM, Shadyac steps in front of the camera to recount what happened to him after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged with a new sense of purpose, determined to share his own awakening to his prior life of excess and greed, and to investigate how he as an individual, and we as a race, could improve the way we live and walk in the world.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Armed with nothing but his innate curiosity and a small crew to film his adventures, Shadyac set out on a twenty-first century quest for enlightenment. Meeting with a variety of thinkers and doers–remarkable men and women from the worlds of science, philosophy, academia, and faith–including such luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch – Shadyac appears on-screen as character, commentator, guide, and even, at times, guinea pig. An irrepressible “Everyman” who asks tough questions, but offers no easy answers, he takes the audience to places it has never been before, and presents even familiar phenomena in completely new and different ways. The result is a fresh, energetic, and life-affirming film that challenges our preconceptions about human behavior while simultaneously celebrating the indomitable human spirit.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">The pursuit of truth has been a lifelong passion for Shadyac. “As early as I can remember I simply wanted to know what was true,” he recalls, “and somehow I perceived at a very early age that what I was being taught was not the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” He humorously describes himself as “questioning and searching and stumbling and fumbling toward the light.” The “truth” may have been elusive, but success wasn’t. Shadyac’s films grossed nearly two billion dollars and afforded him the glamorous and extravagent A-List lifestyle of the Hollywood blockbuster filmmaker. Yet Shadyac found that <i>more</i> – in his case, a 17,000-square foot art-filled mansion, exotic antiques, and private jets — was definitely <i>less</i>. “What I discovered, when I began to look deeply, was that the world I was living in was a lie,” he explains. “Much to my surprise, the accumulation of material wealth was a neutral phenomenon, neither good or bad, and certainly did not buy happiness.” Gradually, with much consideration and contemplation, he changed his lifestyle. He sold his house, moved to a mobile home community, and started life—a simpler and more responsible life – anew.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">But, at this critical juncture, Shadyac suffered an injury that changed everything. “In 2007, I got into a bike accident which left me with Post Concussion Syndrome, a condition where the symptoms of the original concussion don’t go away.” These symptoms include intense and painful reactions to light and sound, severe mood swings, and a constant ringing sound in the head. Shadyac tried every manner of treatment, traditional and alternative, but nothing worked. He suffered months of isolation and pain, and finally reached a point where he welcomed death as a release. “I simply didn’t think I was going to make it,” he admits.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">But, as Shadyac wisely points out, “Death can be a very powerful motivator.” Confronting his own mortality, he asked himself, “If this is it for me – if I really am going to die – what do I want to say before I go? What will be my last testament?” It was Shadyac’s modern day dark night of soul and out of it, I AM was born. Thankfully, almost miraculously, his PCS symptoms began to recede, allowing him to travel and use his movie-making skills to explore the philosophical questions that inhabited him, and to communicate his findings in a lively, humorous, intellectually-challenging, and emotionally-charged film.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">But this would <em><span>not</span></em> be a high-octane Hollywood production. The director whose last film had a crew of 400, assembled a streamlined crew of four, and set out to find, and film, the thinkers who had helped to change his life, and to seek a better understanding of the world, its inhabitants, their past, and their future. Thus, Shadyac interviews scientists, psychologists, artists, environmentalists, authors, activists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and others in his quest for truth. Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. Noam Chomsky, historian Dr. Howard Zinn, physicist Lynne McTaggart, and poet Coleman Banks are some of the subjects who engage in fascinating dialogue with Shadyac.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Shadyac was very specific about what he was after, wanting I AM to identify the underlying cause of the world’s ills – “I didn’t want to hear the usual answers, like war, hunger, poverty, the environmental crisis, or even greed,” he explains. “These are not the problems, they are the symptoms of a larger endemic problem. In I AM, I wanted to talk about the root cause of the ills of the world, because if there is a common cause, and we can talk about it, air it out in a public forum, then we have a chance to solve it.”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Ironically, in the process of trying to figure out what’s <em><span>wrong</span></em> with the world, Shadyac discovered there’s more <em><span>right</span></em> than he ever imagined. He learned that the heart, not the brain, may be man’s primary organ of intelligence, and that human consciousness and emotions can actually affect the physical world, a point Shadyac makes with great humor by demonstrating the impact of his feelings on a bowl of yogurt. And, as Shadyac’s own story illustrates, money is not a pathway to happiness. In fact, he even learns that in some native cultures, gross materialism is equated with insanity.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Shadyac also discovers that, contrary to conventional thinking, cooperation and not competition, may be nature’s most fundamental operating principle. Thus, I AM shows consensus decision-making is the norm amongst many species, from insects and birds to deer and primates. The film further discovers that humans actually function better and remain healthier when expressing positive emotions, such as love, care, compassion, and gratitude, versus their negative counterparts, anxiety, frustration, anger and fear. Charles Darwin may be best known for popularizing the notion that nature is red in tooth and claw, but, as Shadyac points out, he used the word <em><span>love</span></em> 95 times in <em><span>The Descent of Man</span></em>, while his most famous phrase,<em><span>survival of the fittest</span></em>, appears only twice.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">“It was a revelation to me that for tens of thousands of years, indigenous cultures taught a very different story about our inherent goodness,” Shadyac marvels. “Now, following this ancient wisdom, science is discovering a plethora of evidence about our hardwiring for connection and compassion, from the Vagus Nerve which releases oxytocin at simply witnessing a compassionate act, to the Mirror Neuron which causes us to literally feel another person’s pain. Darwin himself, who was misunderstood to believe exclusively in our competitiveness, actually noted that humankind’s real power comes in their ability to perform complex tasks together, to sympathize and cooperate.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Shadyac’s enthusiastic depiction of the brighter side of human nature and reality, itself, is what distinguishes I AM from so many well-intentioned, yet ultimately pessimistic, non-fiction films. And while he does explore what’s wrong with the world, the film’s overwhelming emphasis is focused on what we can do to make it better. Watching I AM is ultimately, for many, a transformative experience, yet Shadyac is reluctant to give specific steps for viewers who have been energized by the film. <em><span>“What can I do?”</span></em> “I get asked that a lot,” he says. “But the solution begins with a deeper transformation that must occur in each of us. I AM isn’t as much about what you can do, as who you can be. And from that transformation of being, action will naturally follow.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Shadyac’s transformation remains in process. He still lives simply, is back on his bicycle, riding to work, and teaching at a local college, another venue for sharing his life-affirming discoveries. Reflecting Shadyac’s philosophy is the economic structure of the film’s release; all proceeds from I AM will go to The Foundation for I AM, a non-profit established by Shadyac to fund various worthy causes and to educate the next generation about the issues and challenges explored in the film. When he directs another Hollywood movie, the bulk of his usual eight-figure fee will be deposited into a charitable account, as well. “St. Augustine said, ‘Determine what God has given you, and take from it what you need; the remainder is needed by others.’ That’s my philosophy in a nutshell,” Shadyac says, “Or as Gandhi put it, ‘Live simply, so others may simply live.’”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Shadyac’s enthusiasm and optimism are contagious. Whether conducting an interview with an intellectual giant, or offering himself as a flawed character in the narrative of the film, Shadyac is an engaging and persuasive guide as we experience the remarkable journey that is I AM. With great wit, warmth, curiosity, and masterful storytelling skills, he reveals what science now tells us is one of the principal truths of the universe, a message that is as simple as it is significant: We are all connected – connected to each other <em><span>and</span></em> to everything around us. “My hope is that I AM is a window into Truth, a glimpse into the miracle, the mystery and magic of who we really are, and of the basic nature of the connection and unity of all things. In a way,” says Shadyac, a seasoned Hollywood professional who has retained his unerring eye for a great story, “I think of I AM as the ultimate reality show.”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">
<br /></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Written & Directed by</span></strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">: Tom Shadyac
<br /><strong><span>Producer</span></strong>: Dagan Handy</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Editor: </span></strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Jennifer Abbott</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Co-Producer: </span></strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Jacquelyn Zampella</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Associate Producer :</span></strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">: Nicole Pritchett</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 15pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Director of Photography</span></strong><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 10pt; ">: Roko Belic
<br /><strong><span>Executive Producers</span></strong>: Jennifer Abbott, Jonathan Watson
<br /><strong><span>Media and PR Coordinator</span></strong>: Harold Mintz
<br /><strong><span>Graphic Designers</span></strong>: Yusuke Nagano, Barry Thompson
<br /><strong><span>Release Dates</span></strong>: March 11, 2011 – Los Angeles, March 18, 2011 – New York
<br /><strong><span>Running Time</span></strong>: 80 minutes
<br /><strong><span>Rating</span></strong>: Not rated</span></span></p></div></div></div></span>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-67488351453339964522011-08-08T10:44:00.007-04:002011-08-09T10:20:13.184-04:00South America Road-trip in an old-timer<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Part 1 – Peru to Ecuador in a 1968 Volvo Amazon</div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I really, really,<i> really</i> like driving through South America. This is one of my favorite things to do. Lately, since we have children now and my life has changed somewhat, this does not happen as much as I would like, but every now and then I get to hit the road again. Last December I got lucky, a good friend of mine, Johan van Rijswijck, asked me if I would like to come on a trip with him to scout out part of a rally he was planning. Johan owns Sapapana Travel, a Dutch tour operator specializing in Latin America. We often work together, however, on this particular rally we had decided not to (<a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/">Class Adventure Travel</a></span><span lang="EN-GB"> have a large Dakar Rally event at roughly the same time), but of course I was more than happy to help out and be Johan’s co-driver on the journey from Lima to Cartagena.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">The trip was supposed to take place at the end of September, but during the previous stretch (Buenos Aires-Lima) Johan and his other co-driver had had a streak of bad luck ending in a blown-up engine some 300 miles before arriving in the City of Kings. Both he and I had to fly back home (I was already waiting for him in Lima) as repairing the engine of his 1968 Volvo Amazon was going to take quite some time. Parts are not really available in Latin America these days and most had to come from Germany and Sweden. Luckily there is a Volvo Club in <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru/lima-tours">Lima</a> and its then president, Karl Spihlman, himself a totalVolvo aficionado, was of enormous help and rebuilt the engine from scratch. At the beginning of December we both flew back to Lima to begin our journey.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h9iow84k1mg/TkE7h7vSTMI/AAAAAAAAAXk/zVZBV6eE6WA/s320/EC-car-reparations.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638853662602316994" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 215px; " /></p><div>After picking up the car, we left on Saturday morning 9am, 11 December. We had 850km to go and that meant a full day’s driving. It is a little bit of a hassle to leave Lima to the north, and probably due to the upcoming elections, road-works were in progress virtually everywhere. It took us three hours to get out of the city and it wasn’t until noon that we were really able to get moving…</div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The new engine also meant that we had to take it easy for the first 1,000 km: 80kph max. While the almost perfectly asphalted open roads really invited us to drive faster. But there was no way around it - we weren’t going to break the engine again - so we settled for a nice long drive in the Peruvian sun. The coastal desert road we were following sometimes gave way to stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and other times took us over impressive sand dunes. We were already driving in the dark before we reached Trujillo, but we weren’t at our destination yet. The driving was good, but after <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru/a-tale-of-two-empires-machu-picchu-and-chan-chan">Trujillo</a> we entered a more populated area so the traffic increased and made it difficult to push on through to Chiclayo, our planned destination for that day. We finally arrived past midnight, found our hotel, checked in and hit the sack immediately. We had a 9am start the next day. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Sunday started like a breeze, we had <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru/civilizations-built-on-gold">Chiclayo</a> behind us and were back on the Pan-American Highway in no time. The road was in perfect condition, but we still couldn’t drive over 80kph and could only change the oil and filters after a minimum of 1,000km. Still, we managed to reach Piura in the early afternoon, picked up some snacks for the road, filled the tank and found a garage to change the oil, before hitting the road again. We decided to push the engine a little and see how fast we could go, so we made some good mileage. We left the coast behind us and drove northeast. Slowly but surely the landscape changed; the desert morphed into more tropical surroundings and we even passed some rice-fields. Around 4pm we reached the Ecuadorian border. It was a great setting, a river meandering down from the mountains, crossed by an old bridge, bordered on one side by a large gate saying ‘Peru’ and on the other by a huge sign indicating one was entering Ecuador. Formalities on the Peruvian side only took 15 minutes and it seemed we would have a similarly easy entry into Ecuador, but that turned out a little bit differently. The customs officers were as charmed by the old automobile as everyone we had passed along the way and the stamps in our passports were arranged within minutes. Only when we tried to check in the car it turned out that there was only one officer that was allowed to give clearance, and the said gentleman was out for lunch with his girlfriend in a village nearby… So, there was nothing to do but wait and we started up a conversation with an Argentine couple from Mendoza on their way to Caracas (Why not? Nice drive!). Luckily it only took half an hour for the officer to return to his post and formalities here turned out to actually be as easy as on the other side; after 15 minutes we were back on track.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ajfKHQBv0U/TkE9rE9i_xI/AAAAAAAAAX0/SzCyJkunuuI/s320/EC-car-ontheroad.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638856018720128786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></span></p><div>In Ecuador the road led us directly into the mountains. Beautiful scenery, but the quality of the road surface was a lot less than what we had gotten used to in Peru. Luckily there were so many signs (sometimes up to three identical signs in the same place) that it was hard to miss the direction to the town of Loja. We were lucky to have filled up our tank in Piura as most gas stations in this part of Ecuador were closed as it was Sunday. Due to the road conditions and many curves we moved a lot slower on this stretch. Initially we expected to arrive in Loja around 7pm, but quickly had to reset our ETA to 9pm. After 6pm the sun was gone, which reminded us how close we were to the equator. This meant extra careful driving, especially when we suddenly entered an area of very dense fog. We could see around 2-3 meters ahead of us if we were lucky, sometimes we simply had to feel if our tires hit the sides of the road, so you can imagine we took our time to get through this area. We had just about moved our ETA to midnight when the mist disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared, the clouds lifted from the mountain and we were driving on, eventually reaching Loja at 8.30pm. Loja is situated at an altitude of 2100masl, which gives the town a very nice climate. Never extremely hot or cold and situated in a beautiful green setting surrounded by nature, Loja promises some great outings for a future trip to Ecuador. Upon arrival in the hotel we ordered some food and of course a couple of beers, but this turned out to be impossible. Recently a law was passed in Ecuador prohibiting the consumption of alcohol on Sunday afternoons after 4pm (which reminds me I need to write a piece on seriously funny laws in Latin America; have seen a couple in Peru lately that caught my eye…). Our Colombian waiter tried to explain this to us, but when he saw the disbelief in our faces he was friendly enough to make an exception, so we could enjoy a nice illegal beer before turning in.</div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VM66O8EJ8wU/TkE9UseMlbI/AAAAAAAAAXs/yvvXCtiJIYQ/s320/EC-hotel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638855634189063602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></span></p><div>Monday consisted of a relatively short drive to Cuenca, some 200km from Loja, and departing on time we made it there by lunch time. Cuenca is worth a visit, with its beautifully preserved colonial city center and amazing cathedral. It is generally regarded as Ecuador’s most beautiful city. It took us just 3.5 hours driving over a perfectly asphalted road through the mountains, climbing to 3500masl before descending into the adjacent valley. A nicely curved road through a green, mountainous landscape made this a short, but attractive driving day.</div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">To be continued... </span></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-51896384056157545492011-06-23T10:36:00.005-04:002011-06-23T10:55:59.086-04:00Peru; between a rock and a hard place, or finally on course?<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" >After a stressful and well-commented double election round played out under the eyes of the world, Mr. Ollanta Humala was elected to be Peru’s next president. Since I am a former resident (I lived in Peru from 1997-2004), and because an important part of our business still takes place there, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">I was and still am very interested in Peru’s political well-being. I followed the election process, initially with growing concern, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">but recently with a tiny flicker of hope.</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">The people inhabiting what today is called the Republic of <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru/information">Peru</a> have lived in various states of occupation over the past 600 years. Initially conquered by the Incas (for about 100 years, from say 1400AD) and subsequently suppressed by the Spaniards as their crown colony until way into the last century. Peru ‘s political reality in the more recent past has been characterized by the Roman “Panem et circenses”, basically coming down to corrupt governments keeping the majority of the Peruvian people poor and uneducated in order to more easily exploit them as a cheap force of labor. This is in many ways still the case, and in my honest opinion what has happened in Peru this month has more to do with the current government not doing its job correctly - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">in terms of making sure all Peruvians have an opportunity to share in the riches of their land (education, job creation, etc.) - than with the populist, mass-manipulation of which the upcoming president and his team are currently being accused.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KGI9WPSpEss/TgNRQysmL-I/AAAAAAAAAXM/fgHv9jqxDbw/s320/Ollanta%2BHumala.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621426108817092578" /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">As a matter of fact, to a certain extent, what has happened in <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru/lima-tours">Peru</a> shows that the democratic system actually works. A majority (albeit a small one) of the Peruvian people did not agree with the way the current government handled its power (and the country’s wealth) and they chose to go in another direction. A direction they hope will eventually give them and their children a better chance to become equal, well-educated citizens with similar opportunities to their fellow country-men.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">This is not to say that I have faith that Mr. Humala will do a better job than Mr. Garcia. That still needs to be proven and it is definitely not my place to predict anything. Sadly it is difficult to find an exemplary president in the country’s past, and neither Mr. Garcia, nor Mr. Humala really fit the bill. I tried to read Mr. Humala’s plan (If you read Spanish and feel like it, please give it a try: <a href="http://especiales.rpp.com.pe/elecciones2011/2011/01/21/conozca-el-plan-de-gobierno-de-ollanta-humala/">http://especiales.rpp.com.pe/elecciones2011/2011/01/21/conozca-el-plan-de-gobierno-de-ollanta-humala/</a>) and all I can say at this point is that if he really can stick to most of what is outlined there, then he could actually make a good president.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">However, his past does not speak for him. He allegedly supported a coup by his brother Antauro in 2005 against then president Alejandro Toledo, and apparently circulated a bi-weekly paper calling for the Peruvian people to rise-up against the Toledo government. Both while in active duty as lieutenant-colonel of the Peruvian Armed Forces. Also, his recently hidden friendship with, and support for, Venezuela’s Mr. Chavez do not inspire the trust that one would expect a people to have in a candidate they just elected to represent them for the coming 5 years. The fact that a couple of months before the elections he switched his allegiance to <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil/best-brazil-vacation-tour-package">Brazil</a>’s former president Ignacio “Lula” da Silva and hired some of his former executives to help him reshape his campaign can, up to this point, only be seen as a smug move to throw his competitors off course and win the elections. Ms. Keiko Fujimori, daughter of one of Peru’s former presidents and Mr. Humala’s closest contender, unsuccessfully tried the same approach to shed some of her more right-wing public image.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4aJcCIP4B3g/TgNSPDYI1_I/AAAAAAAAAXU/n1LVWs7qY3U/s320/Lima%2Bcenter.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621427178446575602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">n the end it does not really matter who thinks what. Mr. Humala was chosen democratically by the same people that chose his predecessors, so like it or not, he is the man for the job. Hopefully he will be held accountable by these exact same people if he fails to keep his promises.</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">What is happening in Peru today seems similar to what has happened, is happening and will probably be happening for quite some time, throughout the rest of the continent. After centuries of Spanish/Portuguese rule and a series of make-believe republics followed by, or mixed with, military dictatorships, most Latin American countries have only seen modern democracy very recently. Action causes reaction and sadly many of Latin America’s democracies do not really function the way they should. This is simply because large parts of the population do not receive sufficient education to be able to make up their minds about which presidential candidate would best represent them. It takes a people choosing a president who will invest in their education to get that ball rolling. Depending on the outcome of Mr. Humala’s upcoming presidency we will see if this time that choice was right or not. It will depend on Mr. Humala’s decency; will it be his wish to go into history as the man that saved his people, or will he turn out to be just another charlatan lying to his people in exchange for an easy squeeze? I guess we’ll see soon enough.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oF19XBbiBY4/TgNT5hRNv-I/AAAAAAAAAXc/xGoBkzP-btc/s320/Lula.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621429007536734178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px; " /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Mr. Ignacio “Lula” da Silva has become an icon in Latin American politics and it is not strange that Mr. Humala and some others have chosen to want to be seen more like him than, for example, Mr. Chavez. Even though Brazil has seen a series of “lucky” events form part of its current boost to becoming one of the world’s super powers, Lula has still managed to stay on top of things and realize what in many other neighboring countries has not yet been achieved – how to combine strong macro-economic growth with proper transformations of the actual functioning of society, giving a large portion of the country’s poor the opportunity to grow and become part of the middle class. This may seem trivial at first glance, but until the “Lula Miracle” this had not happened in most of South America. The social changes in Brazil over the past 10 years are the biggest in its entire history.</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">I do not pretend to be a political analyst, nor do I want to share my personal political opinions here, but I do want to try to figure out what is happening in <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru/lima-the-gourmet-capital">Peru</a> and why politics in general seem to have become more and more about the well-being of the politician instead of that of the people he/she is chosen to represent. Peru sees similar factors to Brazil at the base of its economic growth of the past 10 years, and if managed well, could potentially follow this example on a social level. In my eyes, Mr. Humala has a chance here to wipe the slate clean and be remembered as the president Peru never had before. If he sticks to his word and really manages to combine Peru’s economic growth with sufficient education and job opportunities for its people, he might not only be remembered as Peru’s favorite president, but as the one that helped a new Latin American socio-political model come into existence.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Now, let’s keep our fingers crossed, our eyes closed and pray for rain…</span></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-14354361328812230602011-06-16T11:29:00.005-04:002011-06-16T11:36:08.335-04:00God in the machine: Inti Raymi in Cusco and Corpus Christi<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Hi there,</span></div> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">I am not a very religious man and although I very much believe there is more to life than meets the eye, I have tended to stay away from institutionalized religion due to some authority issues, which sadly have stood in the way of my enlightenment. That does not mean I do not see the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">beauty in the history and rituals of some religious habits and festivities, and part of the attraction of Latin America certainly lies in its cultural heritage, and therefore also in its divine c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">elebrations.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">I will have to be honest and say I have never witnessed either of the two important religious festivals I am about to describe here. Not sure as to why, as I have certainly not shunned them, I’ve simply not been in the right place at the right time I guess, as is always a possibility when one tries to get to know an entire continent. I was asked to give some reflections on these two events as they are coming up, so I did a little research. I must say that after all I read, I may change my travel plans for this year and make sure to be in Cusco on June 24<sup>th</sup> and anywhere in Brazil, Peru or Ecuador roughly 50 days after Easter…</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Inti Raymi</span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"">The Festival of the Sun was a religious ceremony of th</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"">e Inca Empire in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">honor of the sun-god Inti, one of the most venerated gods in Inca religion. According to chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega, Sapa Inca Pachacuti created the Inti Raymi to celebrate the winter solstice and a new year in the Andes of the Southern Hemisphere.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Today, it's the second largest festival in South Americ</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">a. Hundreds of thousands of people converge on Cusco from other parts of Peru, South America and the world, for a week long celebration marking the beginning of a new year - the Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Ud3f1zSrc8/Tfoin7-V9cI/AAAAAAAAAXE/BBHoKOIqy2E/s320/Inti%2BRaymi%2B1.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618841554607535554" /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">During the Inca Empire, the Inti Raymi was the most important of four ceremonies celebrated in Cusco, as related by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. The celebration took place in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">the Haukaypata or the main plaza in the city. The ceremony was also said to indicate the mythical origin of the Incas, with nine days of colorful dances and processions, as well as animal sacrifices to ensure a good cropping season. The last Inti Raymi with the Inca Emperor's presence was carried out in 1535, after which the Spanish conquest and the Catholic Church suppressed it. Some natives participated in similar ceremonies in the years after, but it was completely prohibited in 1572 by the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, who claimed it was a pagan ceremony opposed to the Catholic faith.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">In 1944, a historical reconstruction of Inti Raymi was directed by Faustino Espinoza Navarro with indigenous actors. The reconstruction was so popular that it was repeated a number of times and the Inti Raymi festival has now been reestablished as a much looked forward to yearl</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">y event.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Corpus Christi</span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"">Latin for Body of Christ, this is the holiday when Catholics commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist, or communion. It’s held either on a Thursday or a Sunday roughly 50 days after Easter.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">The appearance of Corpus Christi as a feast in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">the Christian calendar was primarily due to the petitions of the thirteenth-century Augustinian nun Juliana of Liège. From her early youth Juliana revered the Blessed Sacrament, and always longed for a special feast in its honor. In 1208 she reported her first vision of Christ during which she was instructed to plead for the institution of the feast of Corpus Christi. The vision was repeated for the next 20 years but she kept it a secret. When she eventually relayed it to her confessor, he relayed it to the bishop. Sadly, the celebration of Corpus Christi became widespread only long after St. Juliana had died.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ymGrQNORzdc/Tfoh05UWmaI/AAAAAAAAAW8/aDCRNvlNc0o/s320/Corpus%2BChristi%2B1.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618840677721217442" /></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Throughout Latin America, Corpus Christi is celebrated every year and it is considered one of the most important religious holidays after Christmas and Easter. Decorating the streets with colorful carpets made from wood shavings and other materials is one of the highlights of this celebratio</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">n of the faith.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">I hope to have given a more or less adequate description of both festivals, which as I said I have not experienced myself thus far. I truly hope to be able to make the time this year or next to go and witness them - let me know if you’re thinking of going too! Also, if you have any first-hand stories to share about any of these festivities then I’d love to hear them.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"">Thanks again and happy trails<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"">Bart<o:p></o:p></span></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-6427760615852973352011-06-08T09:14:00.009-04:002011-06-09T08:37:27.368-04:00Galapagos Memories<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hello!</span></span></div> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">I still remember the first time I went to <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/ecuador/luxury-galapagos-islands-cruise-machu-picchu">Galapagos</a>. It was in 1994 and I was working at Pamir Travels & Adventures, owned by long-time friend and mentor Hugo Torres, doing a traineeship in Sales and Marketing. Those were the last days before email; I actually remember installing the first PC in Hugo’s office with an email account. For all the beauty and peace I find in the natural wonders of the continent I have called home for the past 15 years, I still get bewildered by the pace of technological development we have seen in just about the same time frame. If only we would apply more of our technological creativity to finding ways to protect the very world we live in, we would be way past trying to create paradise on earth, I bet you. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">I was halfway through my traineeship when I had a meeting with </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Hugo and his wife Mireilla about how actual travel experience could enhance the sales process. That same afternoon, we had a group arriving from Germany. Since at the time I was the only one in the office speaking German, Hugo asked me if I wanted to accompany the driver to go and receive the group. The group </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">consisted of Dr. Gerd and Mrs. Christel Gigler and some of their best friends, who had come to Ecuador to celebrate their 25<sup>th</sup> marriage anniversary in style. We had a nice conversation aboard the bus on the way to their hotel and they asked me to a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">ccompany them on their city tour the next day, which I did. The day after we were bringing the group to the airport for their flight to the <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/ecuador/galapagos-islands-wildlife-tour-vacation">Galapagos Islands</a>, when Gerd all of a sudden asked me: “Bart, we have chartered a ship for our honeymoon, it has 10 beths and we are 9; would you like to join us?” I needed to ask him to repeat that twice before I really understood what he had just said, and when I looked at Mireilla who was with us that day, she nodded and gave me a look, as if to say “what are you waiting for? This is a chance in a lifetime!” So, after some (about 5 seconds) of thinking I agreed and after some practical issues (such as me not having brought anything to the airport but the clothes I was wearing and for some reason my passport) were solved, I found myself with my new friends on my way to the Galapagos…</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jMDOh8KiooY/Te95xMaUwbI/AAAAAAAAAW0/Lx67ENUwcZ4/s320/DSC_1673.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615841146406486450" /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">Samba was a refurbished, formerly Dutch trawler, which today would be considered a luxury, small-group cruise vessel. With five cabins it was actually smaller than most ships one will find, but therefore that much cozier when traveling in a group of friends. We sailed the 8-day, westerly route and it was one of the most amazing trips I have made in my life, when it comes to marine wildlife. I watched, swam and played with so many different species of animals I can hardly remember them all: Giant turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, golden rays, manta, sea lions, leather back turtle hatchlings, black hawks, albatross, red- and blue-footed boobies, spinner dolphins, blue whales, frigates, finches, Galapagos lizards, and so many more that it still dazzles me thinking back on it.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">The only experience to come close to this was my 6-hour boat ride on the “Golfo Nuevo” Bay near the <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/argentina/buenos-aires-and-patagonia-experience">Valdes Peninsula</a>, when I actually had an 18m (54ft) Southern Right Whale come up alongside our zodiac, look me right in the eye, kind of asking for a tap on the back. I did and he (o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">r she; I did not verify) started spinning slowly around his horizontal axis, allowing me to caress his skin and have one of my life’s most awesome encounters with nature.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Not that the Galapagos did not offer similar opportunities: I went snorkeling with a piece of rope to play with an abundance of sea lions, who tried not only to bite the rope, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">but also take off my fins and mask, which was both scary and fun; Swimming back to the surface I literally swam through a cloud of golden rays, only to surface finding a pelican perched on my head, as the ship mates had decided to have a laugh and throw some leftovers of the preparation of the fish for that evening’s feast into the sea next to the boat. I watched a Galapagos hawk spot, catch and devour a baby leather back turtle only meters away from where I was laying, observing how hundreds of its fellow hatchlings made their way into the ocean, surviving the first of many perilous episodes in their lives; I almost stepped on a blue-footed booby, who had placed her nest right on the trail designated for two-legged visitors, completely impervious to the risk I posed her; I saw thousands of spinner dolphins jumping over each other in a feeding frenzy as we followed a pair </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">of blue whales below Isabela Island; I stood in a bay, water to my knees, with two resting reef sharks laying at my feet, while small Galapagos penguins swam across at less than 10m (30ft) distance. I did and saw all that and remember thinking: “this must be the best traineeship ever…”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jV1dY4NItPM/Te95Gkj2GRI/AAAAAAAAAWs/r0YdBPup92A/s320/Galapagos%2B1.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615840414154496274" /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Galapagos is one of those very few places on earth </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">where </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">we can see what the world would look like if we had not consistently hunted and killed every animal in sight, what it would feel like if man and animal were actually able to live side by side, sharing the same space. I can tell you it is beautifully humbling and if you love nature, this is a place you definitely should not miss.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">For a couple of ideas on Galapagos holidays, please have a look at the following links:</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/ecuador/galapagos-islands-peru-travel-tour">Galapagos & Peru Discovery</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Galapagos: <a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/galapagos-islands-last-minute-deals-special-offers">Last minute and special offers!</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Thanks again for reading, hope to see you here soon!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; ">Happy trails,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Bart</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-40520008086912104822011-06-01T11:07:00.021-04:002011-06-01T14:13:57.390-04:00Dreaming of Brazil<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hi there everyone,</div> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">I have been quiet for a while, busy discovering new corners of South America, and doing some work while at it... I do promise to get back here more often from now on!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US">Today, let’s talk about<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil-tours"><span style="text-decoration: none; ">Brazil</span></a></span></b><span lang="EN-US">. We have heard more than enough about it on the news lately, but I get the feeling the focus has been somewhat economic. Even though it is interesting to see how world financial flows have been thrown around and today’s money makers are in fact the developing countries of yesteryear, whilst the big powers of pre-2008 are scrambling to get by, that is not what this blog is about. Brazil has become Latin America’s economic super power and that is not something that can or should be ignored. In the realm of travel it has had two interesting consequences:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">First, travel to Brazil has become more expensive; the Real has revalued a lot and prices are similar to those in Europe and North America, if not, in some cases, higher. That said, we are still traveling in great numbers to the old, and the not so old, continents, which means the current price tag on tourism in Brazil is probably not going to be prohibitive to travelers. One main difference is air fare prices, which remain very expensive throughout the Latin America region, compared to similar distance long-haul flights in other parts of the world. One day I will try and investigate how this comes to be and if something could be done about it, but for now, the cost of international flights will remain the only real obstacle for people to travel to Brazil and its neighbors. I promise that when I find a cure for this, I will share it here first!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US">Second, Brazilians are rapidly becoming the largest visitor groups to their neighboring countries. For Argentina this is already the case, with almost 20% of all Brazilians traveling abroad heading for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/argentina/buenos-aires-tours">Buenos Aires</a></span>, <span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/argentina/puerto-iguazu-tours">Iguazu</a></span></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/argentina/bariloche-tours">Bariloche</a></span></span></b><span lang="EN-US">. Also<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru">Peru</a></span></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">is well-visited, with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/peru/machu-picchu-tours">Machu Picchu</a></span></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">as the most important destination. This might in the end mean that some of the entries you will see from me in the future will be written in Portuguese…<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>J<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US">Funny, I am sitting here in the attic of my house, winter is about to hit</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/argentina/buenos-aires-tours">Buenos Aires</a></span></span></b><span lang="EN-US">, and I have just found out the heater up here has decided to stop working. Six degrees Celsius outside and I am thinking of Brazil… Last time I went (apart from a few stopovers) is already a while ago now, a little over a year in fact! I wrote a piece on the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil/salvador-de-bahia-tours">North of Brazil</a></span></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">then and I remember dedicating some of it to the Feijoada dish this region is famous for. Sitting here, sipping a cup of instant soup to keep warm, I all of a sudden feel hungry, so let’s see what the Feijoada is all about again, shall we? I Googled a bit and found a good entry, which I hereby will copy, hoping the good people on about.com/homecooking as well as Mrs. Heidi Haughy Cusick (who’s book “Soul and Spice” is mentioned as the source) will be happy with my enthusiasm:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">“The hearty Feijoada stew is the national dish of Brazil. It's loaded with black beans, pork, bacon, sausage, ham, and beef. Plan ahead to soak the beans overnight. This recipe takes some time to cook, but the result is well worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HuPTxH3SOC4/TeZYr56OYUI/AAAAAAAAAWg/Ab7BZiunkvk/s320/Feijoada.jpg" /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Prep Time: 30 minutes<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Cook Time: 3 hours<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>2 cups (1 pound) black beans, rinsed and picked over<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>3/4 pound pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of fat<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>6 ounces slab bacon<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>1/2 pound smoked pork sausages<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>1/2 pound hot Portuguese sausage such as linguica<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>1 or 2 pounds ham hock or shank, cut into 1-inch rounds<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>1 large yellow onion, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>2 to 4 ounces dried beef carne seca, minced (optional; see Note)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">For the Seasonings:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>3 garlic cloves, minced and sauteed in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>6 green onions, including tops, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>1 yellow onion, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Large handful of chopped fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>2 bay leaves, crumbled<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>1-1/2 tablespoons dried oregano, crushed<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Salt and ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt"><span lang="EN-US">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Preparation:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Soak the black beans overnight in water to cover by several inches. Drain.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Place the drained black beans in a saucepan and add water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Add additional water as needed to keep the beans covered.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">While the black beans are cooking, prepare the meats. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Dice the pork butt or shoulder and the bacon into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the pork, whole sausages, and bacon in a large baking pan. Roast until well done. The sausages will be ready after 35 to 40 minutes and the other meats after 45 to 60 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Cook the ham hock at the same time as the meats are roasting. In a saucepan, combine the ham hock rounds and onion with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the ham hock rounds from the water and remove the meat from the bones, if desired; set aside. Or leave the rounds intact for serving alongside the black beans. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Add the strained onions from the liquid to the beans. Add the cooking liquid to the beans if needed to keep them immersed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Once the black beans are almost cooked, check to make sure there is plenty of cooking liquid in the pot. It should be rather soupy at this point. Stir in the beef (carne seca). Cut the sausages into rounds and add them and all the other cooked meats to the pot. Then add all of the seasonings to the pot, including salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the beans are very tender.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Taste and adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley just before serving.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">Of course, cooking this up at home is the second best option, and will suffice only until you can make your way to Brazil in person and sit down to an authentic Brazilian feast accompanied by a cachaca or two and perhaps a little samba. Here are a few ideas for you if you plan to visit:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil/salvador-bahia-brazil-beaches-tour">Salvador and the beauty of Bahia</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil/diamantina-national-park-salvador">Diamantina National Park and Salvador</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></b></b></span></p><b><span class="Apple-style-span"> <u1:p></u1:p></span></b><p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US">OK, I am off out to buy black beans and bring a little Brazilian heat into this cold Buenos Aires day, talk to you later!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span">Happy trails</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span">Bart</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; "><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><p></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-55419804135058342732010-10-04T11:46:00.008-04:002010-10-05T13:26:43.593-04:00Food, Travel & Identity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" 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name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]-->I just wanted to share with you the latest happy addition to my bookshelf – The Brazilian Table by chef <a href="http://www.thebraziliantable.com/">Yara Roberts</a> who is, as it says on her website:<br /><p class="MsoNormal">“…the first Brazilian chef to write about Brazilian cuisine in English. She gives an intimate look at the regions of Minas Gerais, the Amazon, the Cerado, and Bahia from a food perspective, not only introducing one hundred delicious recipes but also providing an in-depth cultural lesson on the regions and their unique foods.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Flicking through this wonderful book got me thinking about food and my relationship to it.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Such a big part of travelling for me is about food – few things bring as much pleasure. As well as the pure enjoyment of taste, food can tell you so much about a country and about its history and its people. All over the world day-to-day life revolves entirely around, and is structured by food (well, perhaps not entirely, but I can safely say that my thoughts are often occupied by what the next meal will be and when). People connect over food - it brings them together, families, friends, old and young. There is something basically human about sharing a meal, whether it’s a chunk of cheese and some dry bread shared with a fellow traveler on some endless bus journey across Bolivia, or an invitation to a family asado in Argentina.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Food and the customs and rituals surrounding it provide a framework for a country’s character, showing you their humanity. People are fiercely proud of their culinary heritage, it speaks of their past and of their values. In Argentina sharing mate (a bitter tea like drink) demonstrates a warmth and openness that strangers can immediately connect with.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Food is surrounded by these emotions; friendship and generosity; comfort and nostalgia. When people are homesick it often manifests itself in missing the flavors of home, and home-cooked food features in many a childhood memory. A bowl of hot soup at the end of a long, cold journey can switch your mood in a moment, and in England pretty much any problem can be solved by putting the kettle on for a cup of tea.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As well as this, layers of a country’s history can be seen in its culinary styles and influences. In Buenos Aires, waves of Italian immigrants opened pizzerias and ice-cream parlors all over the city, and today ice cream is a big part of the city’s culture – <i style="">heladerias</i> to rival Rome’s finest gelato emporiums are dotted throughout the city serving towering cones in multiples of delicious flavors.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Whenever I think of summer in Buenos Aires I think of heading to the <i style="">heladeria</i> at midnight, even at this late hour lively with groups of teenagers and tables of smartly dressed old folks. Getting my ticket, waiting for my number to come up and choosing my two scoops from the dozens of options - for me this experience is part of the patchwork of Buenos Aires. Just as when I think of Tokyo I think of spicy wasabi with soy sauce, and slivers of vivid pink pickled ginger, and just as Morocco brings back memories of steaming tagines of lamb and apricot, and sweet, hot mint tea in colored glasses.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TKo7tUiHFnI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/NAoqUkxKpHM/s1600/BRBRA01-name.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 165px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TKo7tUiHFnI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/NAoqUkxKpHM/s320/BRBRA01-name.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524293542715266674" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have always been intrigued by food, recipes and cooking styles, and their inextricable link to a country’s history, culture and character. This is why, for me, The Brazilian Table is the perfect recipe book. Combining delicious Brazilian dishes, with an in depth knowledge of their origins and influences and an obvious passion for the country and its flavors. All this in one delectable and beautifully written full-color package. Time to cook!<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-14897491560397973222010-09-30T10:15:00.002-04:002010-09-30T11:14:37.708-04:00Calling all Travel Professionals!<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family:Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:85%;" ><i>Hello everybody,<br /><br />Every now and then I need to share something that is not directly related to me rummaging around the continent. At this moment we are looking to find a couple of enthusiastic travel professionals to join our ranks in our Buenos Aires headquarters. If you have extensive experience in the travel industry, know the continent of South America and are either already living in Buenos Aires or considering moving here, please have a look at: www.globalencounters.com/jobs </i></span></span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family:Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:85%;" ><i>Thanks in advance for forwarding this message to anyone you think might be interested!<br /><br />Best regards,<br />Bart</i></span></span> </p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-84704230318391884822010-09-13T14:01:00.008-04:002010-09-14T10:47:40.882-04:00Colombia: Part 4 Into the Coffee Triangle<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">After lunch we took off in search of the “PaNaCa”, the Parque Nacional de Café, apparently one of the best places to go and learn about the ‘black gold’. When we finally found the park it was pouring with rain and the guide at the gate advised us to come back another day. Praise be to him, because as the kids fell asleep on the back seat, Karin and I embarked on one of our little side trips and ended up in the most pristine and fairy-tale cloud-forest I have ever seen in my life.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI-K10SY3-I/AAAAAAAAAV4/AvVc-nXuB0s/s1600/trees2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI-K10SY3-I/AAAAAAAAAV4/AvVc-nXuB0s/s320/trees2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516780725725618146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Back on the main road from Armenia to Pereira we took the exit to Salento and from there drove on to the Cocora Valley. Following a small, winding road, creeping over two mountain ranges and through a beautiful valley, and ending up in the town of Salento, a hidden away backpacker’s paradise, and the gateway to the Cocora Valley. Recently inaccessible due to guerrilla activities, this wondrous place is now open to visitors and is receiving its first curious outsiders with open arms. We drove 11km from Salento to “Don de Juan B” a small local tourist complex, consisting of a great restaurant, a playing field for children, some shops, all the horses you could wish for, and the best cappuccino I have had in a long time - all in an idyllic setting in the middle of this beautiful valley, green and lush, even at 2500masl. </span> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">The views in this region are spectacular and during our visit the temperature varied from fresh in the sun, to crisp in the shade. The purest of air filled our lungs and we were immediately smitten by the sheer beauty of the land. We had wandered pretty far off our planned route and only had an hour before we had to get back to the hotel to put the kids to bed, but we unanimously decided that we would return tomorrow.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">28 June: Armenia, Salento</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Colombia claims to be the country with the greatest variety of palm trees in the world (some 250+ varieties if I am not mistaken) and the lower Cocora Valley has literally thousands of them. These beautiful tall trees are home to an endemic species of yellow and green parrot, one of many different birds and animals to be spotted here - deer, puma and even spectacled bears are known to roam the higher lands of this magical stretch of Colombia. Higher again the valley leads to the “Parque Nacional de los Nevados”, about one day’s ride on horse-back, and we made a solemn pledge to return and make that journey as soon as Noa is old enough to sit on a horse by herself.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5ndZ4Vh4I/AAAAAAAAAVY/MU68Sdc9Uv4/s1600/Capu.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5ndZ4Vh4I/AAAAAAAAAVY/MU68Sdc9Uv4/s320/Capu.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516460348436481922" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">After enjoying two sublime cappuccinos and buying a couple of kilos of organically produced coffee beans, we began a 1.5hr ride following a small and treacherous path of mud and rocks, apparently a piece of cake for the well-trained horses. Strong and well-fed, these docile animals seemed very much at ease with carrying us (myself and Noa together) up and down the hills and through the valleys. Once again the variety of greens was overwhelming as we slowly moved from wide grasslands into cloud forest. Sunlight was breaking through the clouds here and there, and we could see the haze of far off rainfall in the distance.<span style=""> </span>A delicate grey curtain lined with golden specs hung across the sky, and all was fresh air and a peaceful silence broken only by bird calls and the soft gurgle of water making its way down to the Quindio River - the ride was one of spectacular views and great peace. Knowing that we were riding at an altitude of almost 2800masl, and that this area, until five years ago, was almost completely unknown to the outside world, added to the feeling that again we had stumbled upon a very special part of South America, a continent that has already given us so much.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5oCxq7jLI/AAAAAAAAAVg/xJQLAYoFSmk/s1600/Waterfall.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5oCxq7jLI/AAAAAAAAAVg/xJQLAYoFSmk/s320/Waterfall.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516460990477864114" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">What can I say? I feel privileged to be allowed to roam these lands, to get to know the geography, history, flora, fauna, and the people. This great mix of cultures, ever changing, developing, growing, more and more conscious of its own existence and the attributes it has, is simply too much to take in sometimes. I do not think I will ever manage to fathom the depth and the wealth of what the Latin American continent has to offer, or even understand most of it, but I sure am thankful to be a spectator of some of its heritage and its culture, forever blossoming and becoming a more and more integral and valued part of the world. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">29 June, Armenia</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">We had managed to draw up an extensive list of things to do and places to see, but this was our last day in the Coffee Triangle, so most will have to wait until next time. We settled on a coffee tour at the Eco Hotel Combia, where we were staying, followed by a visit to the renowned butterfly park and botanical gardens of Armenia. We were not disappointed. Although not as spectacular as the day before, both visits were very interesting. I never knew it takes about two years (!) to create a cup of coffee. Three months for a seedling to be planted, another four for it to blossom, eight more before the first harvest can take place and then two months to dry. Then the selection process can begin (about two thirds of the beans are pre-considered not good enough for export). The one third that is good enough is sold to the Coffee Federation of Colombia who handles export to foreign buyers who will roast the beans and sell them off. All in all a minimum of twenty-four months before I wake up and smell th<a name="_GoBack"></a>e coffee. The other two thirds are divided in two classes; half is sold for national consumption and the rest stays at the farm to be either sold locally, or used right then and there. Colombians therefore, like so many producers of our fancy stuff, are allowed only the worst of their own produce, or perhaps they only allow themselves that. What is true is that most Colombians seem to have no need for the exquisite espresso that is one of the final products of the crop they have grown for generations. That will probably change soon enough, especially with more and more tourists coming in and asking, like I did at the end of the tour, “So, where is the machine? I could use a double!”<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5oQ_7IPQI/AAAAAAAAAVo/8QtSZ7dx2p4/s1600/beans.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5oQ_7IPQI/AAAAAAAAAVo/8QtSZ7dx2p4/s320/beans.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516461234822069506" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">The Butterfly Park and Botanical Garden were also quite impressive. The knowledgeable guides and a variety of things to do and see, especially for the kids, made this a far nicer little outing than I had expected. Whilst our guide explained the different species of palm trees (which happened to be his specialty), Edie and Noa went haywire running through the park, getting lost in the maze, freaking out over the robotic insects show and chasing all kinds of insects, some wild butterflies included. It helps in these cases that we have two blond, blue-eyed little beauties, which has the effect of immediately making people smile and say things like : "oh what beautiful eyes!” and, "your daughters are so pretty, such lovely little girls!” If only they knew... </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Edie and Noa both possess a raw, unpolished inner energy that bursts out unexpectedly, loud, with fierce joy and usually a lot of noise, accompanied with wild body movements they call dancing. This is especially charming when staying in a fancy hotel or eating out in, for example Holland, where dining with kids is a little frowned upon. Dinner usually ends with Edie frantically bouncing around the restaurant, making all kinds of pirouettes, pliés and what have you, with a wild-eyed gaze that lately makes me think of Billy Elliot. Maybe one day she actually will pick up ballet and everything will turn out just fine… Noa has had a princess fetish for some time now, which I silently pray will be over very soon, but on the other hand I must admit she makes me laugh every time she walks into a room with her air of disdain for all the lower people (she is 2.5), climbs onto a chair and attaches all kinds of girly stuff to my hair, claiming I am a princess too… only 5 minutes thereafter going down on all fours, dress torn to shreds, fingernails, hands, knees and face all filthy, pretending to be a dog.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5odh-9rFI/AAAAAAAAAVw/B_z-jRdSHPk/s1600/Horse.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TI5odh-9rFI/AAAAAAAAAVw/B_z-jRdSHPk/s320/Horse.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516461450123390034" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">All in all it was another great day in a great country. I really do not understand how this place has been the stage for so much violence for so long and until so recently. Intelligence and humor, commonplace everywhere we go, should not be the root for it, or the stunning beauty of the landscapes, or the friendliness and hospitality of the people. This is a country of great artists, writers, even politicians, and so far, I seriously think it has the potential to be one of the great destinations of this continent. Looking forward to tomorrow…</span></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-42409275233466577132010-08-25T14:57:00.010-04:002010-08-30T12:56:06.386-04:00A Colombian Adventure: Part 3<span style="font-size:130%;"><b style=""><span lang="ES-PE">San Agustin, Neiva, Bogotá, Pereira, Armenia</span></b></span><br /><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">After a good night’s sleep and knowing you have a nice day of moving from A to B to C ahead of you, it is always nice getting up early. Well, actually, it is never really <i style="">nice</i> to have to get out of bed before sun-up, but even so we all woke up in a pretty sunny mood, probably helped by the fact that we had already packed the night before and did not, like on so many other occasions, have to hastily jump into the shower, get dressed, pack, jump in the car, leave, and go back again at least four times for forgotten things. All the while rushing a mobile breakfast usually composed of cold (or too hot!) coffee, a banana and some sweets.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/THVw7bMR4RI/AAAAAAAAAVA/fCsWSnAqQkE/s1600/Colombia+green.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/THVw7bMR4RI/AAAAAAAAAVA/fCsWSnAqQkE/s320/Colombia+green.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509433885371523346" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Instead, we managed to have a leisurely breakfast of toast, marmalade, eggs, coffee, freshly picked fruit, juices and more coffee. So leisurely indeed that we of course left one hour late and Jairo had to drive like a maniac to get us to Neiva airport just on time to find out our flight was one hour delayed. The ride itself was actually quite relaxed, the kids slept most of the way, as did Karin, and Jairo and I exchanged small talk. Jairo drives a Kia 7-seater van of American proportions, and the ride was smooth as silk up till the final 20 minutes when we tried to make our way through a Neiva in the last phase of the San Juan & San Pedro festivities.With men on horses everywhere, most of them too drunk to even stand up, let alone ride a horse through dense city traffic, buses with tourists from all parts coming in for the final fiesta and clogging all main arteries of the town.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">We were lucky Jairo has actually lived here for 20 years before moving to San Agustin and he knows the place like the back of his hand. He skilfully manoeuvred the large van through the hectic chaos of cars, trucks, buses and horses, taking lots of little back roads I would never have taken if my life had depended on it. Jairo actually got us to the airport within the minimum of 45 minutes before take-off, all the time reassuring us we would still have time to have lunch before our flight. He helped us unload our 3 heavy bags, 2 backpacks, 2 laptop bags, one baby-bed, and an explosion of toys, colouring artefacts and all the other paraphernalia one tends to hoist along when traveling with kids. Of course he turned out to be right; our plane was delayed (“as always happens”, he said before smiling and saying his goodbyes) and we actually managed to have a local version of steak, which was amazingly nice and tender considering it was airport grub, before we got on the turboprop back to Bogota.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Here, everything went easy, apart from the fact that Noa and I went for a second round of coffee for Karin and me and we almost missed our connection, again… Luckily the lady behind the counter remembered us from the week before and we jumped on the bus as it was making its way to the plane. I have actually come to like our way of traveling; there is always something completely off in our planning and we usually get into trouble or completely lose our way, in the process running into all kinds of nice and interesting people and places. I can imagine though that anybody traveling with us would go completely bonkers.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/THVtgn4jaXI/AAAAAAAAAUw/YtDasgRJcDU/s1600/Colombia+-+Mist+trees.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/THVtgn4jaXI/AAAAAAAAAUw/YtDasgRJcDU/s320/Colombia+-+Mist+trees.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509430126387095922" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">We arrived in Pereira about 2 hours behind schedule (not our fault, the second flight was simply delayed) and after Karin had had a nice fight with the car rental people about the fact that we were not prepared to pay a four-day rent for what actually turned out to be a 3-day trip, we were finally on the road around 6pm. Darkness set in and yet another of those things you always tell other people not to do happened; driving after dark in a new country. But I’ve gotten used to that as well; we’ve made our way through the depths of night in Lima, in Peru’s southern Andean regions, straight through Sao Paulo, in the upper north of Brazil, and in various parts of Patagonia, usually without GPS devices, and always getting lost before finding our way back again. Up till now nothing deadly has happened to us.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Same thing in Colombia, and I can add that at least in this part of Colombia the roads are perfect, mostly well-lit and with clear signals showing the way to where one wants to go. Sometimes there are so many signs that it will make you dizzy, but then there is always a nice neighbour (in our case usually a gas station employee) that will happily show you where to make the next turn. We made it from Pereira to our new hotel, a very nice and typical coffee-farm-hotel named Combia, in about one hour, despite the dark and a very limited map to go by. Colombia is good Fly-Drive Territory, if you can manage the Spanish language and are not afraid to ask your way around.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">After a long day we hit our beds almost instantly and slept like the little babies some of us still are, waking up 8 hours later to a new day in a new land…</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Armenia and surroundings</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Coffee Triangle, as this part of Colombia is called, is a lush and fertile area with a mild, benign climate, good for producing some of the best coffee in the world. Funny thing is that it is quite difficult to actually find a good cappuccino, or even an espresso, as most people are not really used to drinking “fancy” coffee and usually just take a “tinto”; black filter coffee, thinned with hot water and sugared up to hurt your teeth. Some come with milk and both taste like sweet hot coloured water, nothing like Juan Valdes makes you believe people enjoy over here. So, when the owner of the hotel came to us and asked us to please leave any suggestion we could think of, I could hardly keep my mouth shut.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">After a simple but hearty breakfast we got into our car and started driving back to Armenia and right behind it found a sign saying “canopy”…</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/THVtwzGnk9I/AAAAAAAAAU4/46bk6UphJOI/s1600/Conopy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/THVtwzGnk9I/AAAAAAAAAU4/46bk6UphJOI/s320/Conopy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509430404276786130" border="0" /></a><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">During our last trip in Brazil my daughter Edie had already shown great interest in rappelling, as well as in huge natural water slides, and other such things that make me super-scared something might happen to her. As a matter of fact I lately find myself projecting many of my childhood fears on my daughters, as they begin to discover the fun parts of our numerous trips. As a teenager I decided that I would not let fear hold me back from doing anything, and I spent several years crusading against my fears of things like heights, failing in general and being publicly ridiculed. I went for a 65m bungee jump that almost killed me, set up a travel company in Peru without any prior experience, and even tried speaking in public. The last, to my shame, is really not my forte...<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;">Still I thought I had it nicely worked out and that I had managed to kick myself into being a cool guy, not afraid to take on a challenge or two and free of unnecessary internal blockades. The opposite isn’t true, but I must say I am having a hard time not panicking a little each time Edie climbs a tree or Noa dances around on a plastic chair. My wife Karin and I have discussed this often. She was raised with a no-fear policy and skied black slopes and beyond before she could speak a full sentence, so she understandably has some issues with my ‘all of a sudden’ somewhat conservative nature. She feels, and rightly so, that we should not project our fears onto our children and should let them discover their own boundaries. I agree with her, of course. So, when we saw the sign and Karin looked at me with that inquisitive look of hers, I said: “what the hell”, and made a sharp left.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">14 speed-flights between towering trees and hulking bamboo ladders later we were back where mother earth prefers to have us and I was soaked. With adrenaline still screaming through my veins and hair standing out in all directions, the next group of that went up for their first climb looked at me with some puzzlement. I could not care less; I was alive! Karin, Edie and Noa had had the time of their lives and the kids would keep asking us for days in advance when we could go and “fly” again.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-30745827229626651502010-08-09T10:40:00.014-04:002010-08-13T10:15:31.824-04:00A Colombian Adventure Continued: Part 2<span style="font-size:130%;">
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mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style="">Neiva-San Agustin (227km, 4 hrs)</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAbUfrt1SI/AAAAAAAAAUI/iAvjs_TSvPI/s1600/San+Agustin+-+Colombia.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAbUfrt1SI/AAAAAAAAAUI/iAvjs_TSvPI/s320/San+Agustin+-+Colombia.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503428783562937634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">After breakfast, and a not so pleasant stay in a hotel in Neiva, we meet our driver Jairo who will take us to San Agustin - Jairo is contracted by Rene, a Swiss guy who settled in San Agustin many years ago, probably one of the first foreigners to settle down in this beautiful area. He runs the agency Chaskatours and we will probably hear more from him in the not too distant future. Here, the Andes Mountain Range, in one final show of grandeur, splits into three majestic mountain ranges, the Cordilleras Occidental, Central and Oriental. We are now driving through a wide green valley that divides the Cordilleras Central and Oriental, which is itself split in two by the Magdalena River, which stretches 1500km from San Agustin to Barranquilla and is the longest and most important river of Colombia.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">15 minutes outside of Neiva we stumble upon the hamlet of Rivera, known for its thermal springs, and here we find a great alternative to the place we slept last night. This is the perfect place for our groups when they come driving down from Bogota to make a stop on their way to San Agustin. What better place to spend the night after a long day’s drive than a hotel with 4 swimming pools, next to a set of thermal springs?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">A nice detail of local roads here is that, as well as being mostly perfectly asphalted, they are shaded by ‘ecological tunnels’. This part of Colombia gets very hot and most municipalities make a habit of having their main roads lined by trees that meet each other over the middle, thus creating a green roofing that not only creates shadow but also absorbs most of the exhaust gasses of the trucks, cars and motorbikes passing by. On top of this it truly enhances the visual experience of driving here.
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Jairo is a good driver and he also turns out to be an excellent storyteller. Thanks to him and his knowledge of local folklore I have a very interesting ride, while the girls mostly sleep in the back. The first thing he asks is if we have already tried the famous ‘Asado Huilense’, a ritual pig roast only prepared during the festivities of San Juan & San Pedro. During these festivities, about which I still need to do some more reading, each province holds folkloric dancing contests where one girl is chosen to be the ‘Reina’ or ‘Queen’. During the ‘Vispera de San Juan’, or ‘the Eve of Saint John’, which I understand falls on midsummer’s eve, the family spends all day on the preparation of the pig; first the slaughter, then the cleaning of the animal and the selection of the best parts of meat. Then follows the preparation of the wood for the fire and finally the entire family, friends and neighbors sit down for a true feast. It is kind of a sacred ritual, but these days the Asado Huilense has found some resonance outside of El Huila and you will find more and more local restaurants offering the dish, also out of the official season.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
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<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAcKVno4rI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/7nijejRKBSk/s1600/San+Agustin+2+-+Colombia.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAcKVno4rI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/7nijejRKBSk/s320/San+Agustin+2+-+Colombia.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503429708574417586" border="0" /></a>
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Next we drive through the small town of Hobo, apparently a tourist stop, but we decide to push on. While we drive out of town on one of the scarce pieces of straight road that we have encountered on our trip, Jairo tells me that this is the highway airport of Hobo. Upon my puzzled look he explains that some nine years ago a local governor managed to get his private plane hijacked and forced to land on this main road. The governor was then kidnapped, and as far as my recently blossoming understanding of Colombian Spanish helps me understand, was released after direct negotiations between the FARC and the then president Pastrani.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Now we drive past ‘Los Altares’ – sand rock formations that line the road, shaped by wind and rain, resembling the medieval gothic churches of Europe. Here, at 700 m.a.s.l, climate and vegetation have already changed completely. Whereas in Neiva the main crops are rice and cotton, here we drive across coffee and cacao plantations. We pass countless food stalls selling ‘Quesillo’, a local cheese variant made from cows’ milk. The kids are asleep so we don’t stop; we’ll have to try this on our way back…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">A road sign indicates the distances to the next three villages, one of them called ‘Gigante’. I turn to Jairo and he begins to tell the legend of El Gigante, a giant Indian who according to the story used to steal the crops of the local villagers until they had enough of it and finally managed to ambush and kill him. Apparently he still lays there today, flat on his back. We drive through the town of Gigante, but I see nothing strange or disturbing…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAcnrPUwsI/AAAAAAAAAUY/BLB34zrhCR8/s1600/San+Agustin+River+-+Colombia.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAcnrPUwsI/AAAAAAAAAUY/BLB34zrhCR8/s320/San+Agustin+River+-+Colombia.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503430212594221762" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">‘Curvas Peligrosas’… we drive through a stunning mountain area, on a recently paved road, but with about as many curves as a beautiful woman, each one more dangerous than the one before.<span style=""> </span>Numerous signs alongside the road warn against drinking and driving, or simply taking the wheel when tired: ‘No more stars on the road’, they say, and before and after practically every curve a star-shaped cross is painted on the asphalt, marking a fatal accident… We take it slow, following a ‘Poker’ Beer truck and then all of sudden he appears, Matambo, the slain giant.<span style=""> </span>A huge face-shaped mountain, looking like those on the statues found on Easter Island, a true indigenous boogieman, carved out of Andean rock.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">We drive past a pond where ‘mojarra’ is cultivated, a local fish that is served in restaurants throughout La Huila province, of which Neiva is the capital. Will make sure to try some in San Agustin! Jairo warns us not to eat mojarra from ponds close to ‘lulo’ (a local fruit used to make juices) plantations, as this particular plant needs a lot of chemicals to withstand insects and other threats. With rain, the chemicals are flushed into the soil and then find their way into the ponds which makes this particular fish not always the healthiest option.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Up and up we go, from the 400 or so m.a.s.l where we started out this morning, making our way through the valley and up the hills. Cacao and coffee make way for tobacco as the air gets fresher and temperatures slowly drop. We drive past the town of Garzon (named after the male variant of the ‘garza’ (heron) that frequent this area. Garzon is the second city of El Huila and is the catholic center of the province, and most of the south of the country. The town has a beautiful cathedral and a seminary from which most of the prominent priests and clergymen in the country emerge. If that is a good thing or not I’ll leave to your own judgment. It’s a nice town though, from what we see driving past.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">La Jagua, the next spot on the map, is a town of artisans, formerly known for being bewitched… I imagine the 31st of October must be a true party here, but we do not get much time to ponder, as Jairo begins a story about the two towns that we are approaching, Altamira & Timana.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Altamira & Timana are home to the Timanareis people. Their most famous ancestor is probably the Caciqua La Gaetana - a local chieftain whose son was killed by a Spanish invader looking for gold. The story goes that she was so angry and grief-stricken that she gathered all the local caciques in the south and together they conquered the Spaniards and captured their leader, Pedro de Allasco. La Gaetana picked out his eyes, punctured his lower jaw through the mouth, tied a rope through it and pulled him behind her horse before decapitating him. Sadly enough history was not in her favor; the Spanish came back with more men, to avenge the death of their kinsmen. La Gaetana was hunted down, but before they could catch her, she managed to reach El Pericongo, a steep cliff from which she is said to have jumped and disappeared into the Magdalena River.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Timanareis people are the oldest tribe in Colombia. In the town of Timana there is a statue of La Gaetana, holding Allasco’s head in her hand. In Neiva, around this time every year, there is the ‘Cabalgata de la Gaetana’ where around 3000 women saddle up their horses and parade through town, emptying bottles of ‘aguardiente’, the local liquor, and making a lot of noise in praise of this fierce warrior of the past.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAc9olx61I/AAAAAAAAAUg/s0xgBk09SF8/s1600/San+Agustin+Horse+ride+-+Colombia.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TGAc9olx61I/AAAAAAAAAUg/s0xgBk09SF8/s320/San+Agustin+Horse+ride+-+Colombia.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503430589840223058" border="0" /></a>
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Driving through Altamira, we come past a sign saying ‘Florencia’. Under the Pastrani government, this town was the gateway to the ‘zona del despeje’, a large area of land cleared of military and police forces, where the FARC incumbents were given the right to reassemble, rearm, train and basically reinforce. This was a state within the state, ruled by the guerilla. I still have a lot to learn about Colombia, its history, and its people. There will most probably be a logical explanation for this guerilla state, but at this point I have no clue as to why a government would allow an enemy army to have a place to rest and rearm.<span style=""> </span>I am not Colombian, so I‘m in no place to judge, of course.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Late afternoon and after a great trip we arrive in San Agustin. Not too long ago this little town was a stronghold of the FARC, and to this date the area has still not been officially given the green light by most embassies. However, as locals assure and reality shows, there is nothing to be afraid of here. Two main military bases in the vicinity mean that there are soldiers present in the streets, restaurants and sometimes also at the hotels. Through time people here have come to terms with the fact that either military or guerillas frequent the town and its facilities. The difference now is that the military are treating the villagers with respect, they pay for the services rendered and help out where needed. They are like any other citizen of Colombia, carrying out their assigned job, living and working amongst their fellow citizens. Their job is to keep the area safe and yes, they have to go on patrols into the surrounding areas, but a normal passer-by is taught to see them as peacekeepers and defenders of everybody’s safety. After a while we hardly notice them as different and the kids play around them as we all eat breakfast together.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Anacaona is a true find and probably the best place in town. An old farm-house, this place was bought by a Frenchman some nine years ago and was slowly converted into the oddly quaint home-stay it is today. A beautiful garden and a wide, panoramic view over the adjacent valley combined with a very friendly (even if somewhat inexperienced) staff, make this a good place to spend at least a few days. The manager, Hector, is on his way to becoming one of the main players in San Agustin tourism development, and is a nice guy to have a chat with if you want to get to know more about the area. He arranged for horses, guides, a jeep and everything else that we needed when planning to explore the area. The equipment was good, the horses healthy and well fed, the guides and drivers correct and on time. English is a challenge still, though we did see some people with English speaking guides, but they had come together from Bogota. No problem for us, but something to keep in mind if you want to visit this beautiful area.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-58475861276229047622010-08-02T16:47:00.001-04:002010-08-02T16:47:29.521-04:00New South America Travel Deals From Global Encounters!<a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/southamerica-travel-deals/global-encounters/prweb4341624.htm" target="_blank">South America Travel Deals from Global Encounters </a>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-50498266124187658032010-06-22T17:27:00.011-04:002010-07-13T10:31:28.162-04:00A Colombian Adventure: The Beginning...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TDx3jKv4jyI/AAAAAAAAAT4/uWSa2b8aFu0/s1600/DSC_0185.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TDx3jKv4jyI/AAAAAAAAAT4/uWSa2b8aFu0/s320/DSC_0185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493397091549482786" border="0" /></a>
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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">June 18-19: Buenos Aires-Lima-Bogota (6,000km, 1 stop-over, 8 hours)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">After a delayed start (we were supposed to fly on the 17<sup>th</sup> in the early morning, but our oldest daughter Edie got sick so we had to postpone our flight for 36 hours), and a mostly pleasant flight via Lima, we arrived in Bogota around 01.00am Saturday morning, June 19.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Getting off the plane and walking through the airport, one still feels the remainders of Colombia’s recent past; military are predominantly present, you feel you are being watched and controls are thorough. The lady at the money exchange is most definitely not the nicest person in the world (but who would be sitting there at that time of night) and in order to change 60 USD, one needs to fill in a form as if applying for a US visa, including hotel address, personal signature and fingerprints.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">But that is just one side of things. Overall, people are friendly, very friendly. Most Colombians we encountered are genuinely happy with the fact foreigners come to see their country now; that they can show what they have. They do not only try to make you feel at home, or make sure you are safe; they are open and direct, honest and reality-driven. And on top of that, they are funny. Colombian humor, though black at times, seems to be what has pulled this nation and its people through its darker recent times. I am sure we will have a great time here, this time, and all the times in the future when we will come back to visit, and set up our office.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Colombia makes me think of Peru 15 years ago. Leaving behind a long period of civil unrest, the country is cautiously opening up its doors to the outside. People go out of their way to make sure you know you can travel here, that you should be careful, but not worry too much about safety; that the safety situation these days is similar to that of most countries in the continent. Hotels in Bogota still have small warning pamphlets in the rooms and the streets are crowded with police and military, but the atmosphere is joyful, busy, aimed forward. It is obvious this country is ready for a new era, an era of peace and connectivity with the rest of the world.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The capital, no, the whole country seems to be under construction; roads are blocked everywhere, not because of safety regulations, but because they are being repaired, widened, improved. Colombians are traveling outside the safety of their immediate environment and most of the streets in Bogota, and the main roads in many parts of surrounding Colombia, are teeming with traffic. All the work being done means delays at present, but soon traffic will be able to flow freely through a country that has been waiting to be explored for so long.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TCEtw0XQfxI/AAAAAAAAATo/9OXAugOD_Ho/s1600/Colombia+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TCEtw0XQfxI/AAAAAAAAATo/9OXAugOD_Ho/s320/Colombia+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485716137827139346" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">June 19: Bogota – Villa de Leyva (180km, 4hs)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">We drove To Villa de Leyva yesterday afternoon, some 4 hours by car from Bogota. Only 180km separate the two towns, and most of it is (going to be) 4-lane highway, but due to uncountable road construction sites and the above mentioned traffic we hit an average of 50kmph, more or less. No problem at all of course; we are exploring Colombia, at last! First impression is that Colombia will make an excellent driving country, but for now this will be restricted. Car rental companies are mainly small and operate locally only; drop off fees do not exist or are forbiddingly high. Next to that hardly anybody speaks English and the recently introduced Satellite Navigation Systems do not have the maps of the country properly loaded yet. This will all change soon, no doubt, but for now we feel Colombia is a great country to visit either in a group with a bilingual tour conductor, or individually with a private guide and driver.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Villa de Leyva is a colonial dream town set in magical, cloud-forest-covered mountains and surrounded by numerous national parks home to geological, natural and historical treasures, most of them still inaccessible to the average visitor.<o:p> </o:p>We stay in the quaint, colonial style Hotel La Candelaria, on the northern end of town, an old mansion recently converted into this beautiful, 8-room boutique hotel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TDx0aWc6b-I/AAAAAAAAATw/EWFHBhErr7E/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TDx0aWc6b-I/AAAAAAAAATw/EWFHBhErr7E/s320/DSC_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493393641537433570" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">June 20, Villa de Leyva<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The main thing that made this trip, and our ten-year dream of opening an office here, feasible is Colombia’s newly found safety, wrought by leaving president, Alvaro Uribe, and his government of the past eight years. Today is Election Day and we talk to local people in the town of Villa de Leyva about who they will vote for.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Something truly phenomenal is happening here in Colombia. After decades of complete political uncertainty and lack of proper leadership, eight-years ago Alvaro Uribe came along, and ever since has been busy putting the country back on the geo-political map. Today, thanks to an absolutely fantastic, worldwide rebranding campaign, foreigners know Colombia as the country where “the only risk is that you’ll want to stay”, something opposite to its reputation in the recent past. Traveling here I can understand why this slogan was chosen. However, it would never have gotten hold had the country not been truly reorganized, safety returned to its streets and hope and trust restored in its people. I came to Colombia for the first time in 1992, at the end of the same 4-month trip that took me to Peru as well. Both countries were in similar circumstances then. Peru emerged from terrorism and uncertainty in 1995-96, when the Shining Path was largely silenced and its leader, Abimael Guzman, captured, by then president Alberto Fujimori. From that moment on, Peru slowly opened itself up to the outside world and, as mentioned before, our experiences there in those days have many similarities to what we see and hear in Colombia today.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Another impressive feat for a country so freshly back on track is the fact that today Colombians have the option to choose between two outstanding candidates for the Presidency: former Defense Minister and Uribe’s favorite, Juan Manuel Santos, and former Mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus, preferred by the country’s students. Both candidates have a formidable political agenda, are very well prepared for the job and most countries’ people in this continent should consider themselves proud and very lucky to have the opportunity to choose only one of them. How Colombia managed to produce the political strength and vigor it shows in its current president and the two candidates to follow him, requires a deep political analysis, that has no place (yet?) in this story, but the mere fact earns Colombia and its people a lot of credit and respect. It also shows that Colombians are done with the past and ready for change, ready for a future that is in their hands - exciting times, for sure.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TDx4Mn3NIlI/AAAAAAAAAUA/y91pNF70L6E/s1600/DSC_0074+new.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/TDx4Mn3NIlI/AAAAAAAAAUA/y91pNF70L6E/s320/DSC_0074+new.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493397803739456082" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><span style="font-size:85%;">
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<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">June 21, Villa de Leyva – Bogota<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><span style="font-size:85%;">Pfff, seems the time difference is affecting the kids more than normally. They keep waking up around 4.30-5am, which even when corrected to their natural clocks (2 hours later), is very, very early. Must be the clean mountain air or something… Bueno, at least it gives me some time to write until breakfast is served. Let me finish where I left off yesterday:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The end of Election Day showed another interesting feature of Colombian thinking. After Mr. Mockus had initially sprung up in the polls to potentially win the elections, the first round showed a favorable position for Mr. Santos, something that was confirmed when the majority of the votes were accounted for and he was elected as Colombia’s next President. Today is “ley seca”; it is forbidden to drink alcohol in public from 24 hours before until right after the elections, so our waiter is serving our beer in teacups and hiding the bottles. He says: “I am a student and Mockus is by far my favorite because he is a former teacher himself and has vouched to bring education back to the top ranks of the political agenda. But today it is just a little early for Mr. Mockus to take the stand, we are still living uncertain times and safety needs to be restored completely before we can start thinking about further reforms. Mr. Santos has the better cards to make sure that Colombia becomes a safe and stable nation. Without safety we are nowhere; without safety we cannot move on. That is why I chose Santos today; I want my country to be safe. Next round will hopefully be for Mr. Mockus.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">For me this clarifies what is happening here; Colombian people are not only done with the past and ready for the future to be in their hands; they are also very carefully handling that new-found responsibility, and moving cautiously to make sure that today will truly mark the continuance of change for the better, and that a solid base will be created to build that future upon. We have seen many bad examples of political manipulation for ourselves over the past 15 years, so being here and listening to the people, seeing how they truly take up the task of making sure they get the right representation for this time, feels like a breath of fresh air. This country is getting ready for a bright future and we sure want to be here when it happens.</span></p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">
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<br /></span>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-18826209708892490692010-05-27T14:23:00.002-04:002010-05-28T13:31:49.858-04:00Brazil, a land of contrasts – Part 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S__97nr2YkI/AAAAAAAAATY/kysEtxJT9A8/s1600/Brazil+part+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S__97nr2YkI/AAAAAAAAATY/kysEtxJT9A8/s320/Brazil+part+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476374872612823618" border="0" /></a><br />Hello and welcome to the final installment of my Brazil road-trip!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Morro de Sao Paulo</span><br />After Carnaval is over, most Brazilians just want to keep on partying, and so they decided to do just that! The ‘Resaca do Carnaval’ (Carnaval’s hangover) is possibly even bigger than Carnaval itself in terms of national tourism, and for most places this means that the party goes on for the rest of the week. There was a time when this would have been the perfect bait for me to hit Salvador for eight days and really turn the town inside out, but nowadays other pleasures and obligations are at the top of the priority list. So, we drove straight through Salvador, made our way past the party tents, and had a cab driver lead the way to the Mercado Modelo, next to which our ferry would leave to the Isle of Tinhare and the town of Morro do Sao Paulo. We managed to park our car in the Marina, not too far from the docks and crossed the strait between Tinhare and the mainland on a big Catamaran, surrounded by sleeping people on their way to the after party.<br /><br />Tinhare, and Morro in particular, have in recent years become THE place to celebrate the Resaca, so we had booked a small “Fazenda” (farm hotel) outside of town. There are officially no cars on that part of the island (we later found out there are several, but they are kept out of sight) and an army of “taxistas” (in this case strong men with wheelbarrows) offer themselves to carry your bags and suitcases from the port to your hotel. Since our fazenda was located on Praia 3 (the third beach from the port) we reluctantly paid the 20 reais (some 10 USD) to have our luggage pushed through the sand, up and down the hills to our next resting place. It turned out to be a great decision as it was 35 degrees Celsius outside and the walk was a lot longer than expected. Dao, our wheelbarrow-driver turned out to be a great guy, so we contracted him for the way back as well. Tinhare is a great spot to relax. Hammocks, sundowners on the beach, great ocean views, a little swimming in warm natural pools at low tide, tremendous amounts of palm trees, hunting for crabs and monkey spotting filled our time during most of our four days there. Great for us and the kids to get our batteries recharged and move on with renewed energy. Sadly our trip was almost over…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Salvador</span><br />Even though we did not visit due to Carnival, I want to say a little bit about Salvador de Bahia. With its fantastic swimming beaches, the largest collection of colonial architecture in Latin America, and a vibrant modern culture, this city has perhaps the richest living cultural mix in the country, with a multitude of Afro-Caribbean bands and performers. We sadly did not have the time to really explore this exciting city, but I will certainly go back in one of my upcoming trips.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Itacimirim</span><br />We took the ferry back to Salvador (very strong currents this time, so we all got sea sick, something to keep in mind when you make this crossing), grabbed a cab to the marina and had an excellent lunch at the Soho Sushi bar. We were somewhat surprised by the high-end cliental, as we ourselves looked like a couple of sun-burnt hippies with two semi-wild kids running around the place. After lunch we picked up the car and drove to Itacimirim (5km short of Praia do Forte on our way back north), where we stayed in the Pousada Praia das Ondas, on a beach with the same name. We had planned for one night, but ended up staying another one as both the food and the company were great, plus it was our last chance to relax on the beach. Itacimirim is a small place, but very nice, a little like what Praia do Forte must have looked like before it was developed for tourism. If you are not looking for all the fancy stuff, and if you like bigger waves (the ocean is a bit rougher here, a nice change after hundreds of kilometers of bounty beaches), this is a great spot to use as a base to get to know the area. Around the corner from Praia, close to Salvador and 6 hours driving from Lencois - Itacimirim certainly did it for us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maragogi</span><br />On the way back to our final destination, Recife, we stopped in Maragogi at the beautiful Posada Maragogi, run by a Dutch/Brazilian couple. After some good Dutch koffie and a relaxing couple of hours overlooking their beach we drove on to Praia Carneiros, where we had lunch at a place called BoraBora. This is one of the most beautiful beaches of the entire region and it is frequented by locals and Brazilians from all over the country. Located on a private Fazenda, BoraBora does not see that many foreigners, and as always we were met with friendly, though somewhat surprised looks from people not used to hearing Dutch, or seeing a man walk around with a backpack containing a two-year old child. That child being our Noa, with white-blond hair, large deep-blue eyes and a one-month Brazilian tan… one can imagine I got a lot of attention. Young fathers, this is your chance to shine!<br /><br />After lunch we went for a walk along the beach and of course lost track of time, and yet again ended up driving in the dark. When we arrived in Recife, instead of trying to find the hotel for our last night, we drove directly to the airport, unloaded all our stuff, plus one month’s worth of dust, sand, rocks, empty water bottles and more good news, returned the car to our hire company and had a cab driver take us ‘home’. One short night later (we had to get up at 3.50am), we were on our way to the airport for a flawless set of flights back to Buenos Aires, where we were welcomed by the last thunderstorm of the season. Home sweet home, even if only for two-weeks before my next flight out…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Epilogue</span><br />What did strike me in Porto Galinhas (and probably because I was reading the final pages of “A death in Brazil”, an amazing book about the country, and especially that area, by Australian writer Peter Robb) is that Brazil is a very particular country with a very particular people. Sitting there in that big resort, between a couple more resorts, smacked down in the middle of what must have been stunningly beautiful nature once upon a time, but is now surrounded by heavy industry, it became utterly clear that I needed to look at Brazil in context. This country has only known democracy for roughly 15 years; it has the most thoroughly mixed races of all of the former European colonies and its history is one of oppression of the vast, poor majority by a small elite group, until very recently. Brazil is largely self-sufficient and its mostly independent and strongly growing economy does not really seem to need foreign tourism. As a matter of fact some hoteliers I spoke to explained they depend about 80% on local tourism for most of the year.<br /><br />Brazilians in general are very nice and warm people, friendly, welcoming and genuinely interested. The fabulous Brazilian kitchen, some truly amazing sights, a rough but intriguing past, the vastness of the Amazon Basin and thousands of kilometers of stunning beaches combine to make Brazil a fantastic destination that can’t fail to grow on you in one way or another. Treat it with proper respect and prepare for a true adventure into a nature, a culture and a gastronomy that will have you hooked, and most likely leave you wanting to visit time and time again.<br /><br />Happy trails!<br /><br />BartBart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-79397141555888064862010-04-23T14:19:00.006-04:002010-04-23T15:27:08.778-04:00Fire & Ice - from volcanic ash to a BAires hail storm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S9HzGa6DJfI/AAAAAAAAATQ/cxTHDNcYuB8/s1600/Hail_m.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S9HzGa6DJfI/AAAAAAAAATQ/cxTHDNcYuB8/s320/Hail_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463415114604684786" border="0" /></a>
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font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >After watching coverage of the volcano in Iceland over the weekend, yesterday I was confronted with a miniature natural disaster of my own in the form of a hailstorm of epic proportions! After an overall beautiful, sunny, late-summers day in Buenos Aires, the sky all of a sudden darkened and lightning started flashing overhead with fast-increasing intensity. After a while it started to rain lightly, soon more and more water was falling from the sky - and then the hail began. For about 15 minutes our house was pummeled by rock-hard balls of ice the size of tennis balls.
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<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >I was working in our attic office/playroom, where my desk is located just under a large sky-window. Karin asked our daughters if they wanted to go downstairs with her to watch the garden as the rain was beginning to fall. After some minutes I decided to get a drink and so I followed them downstairs. That was a lucky decision.
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<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >I arrived downstairs at 8.15, just when the serious hail started to come down. We were standing on our back porch, under a tiled roof as the first icy bombs came down, hammering into the grass and turning the pool into a wild spectacle. Trees in our garden were rapidly “shaven”, as thousands of ice balls bombarded them, ripping off leaves, branches and taking out the occasional bird on their way down. We quickly ran back into the safety of the house and I started to close the blinds on the most exposed windows.
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<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Each room I ran into echoed with the thuds of ice slamming into the windows, and each time I feared that one would come straight through. By the time I was done most of the hail had subsided and was replaced by a torrential rain that seemed like a huge bucket of murky water was being poured out over our neighborhood. At some point we could hardly see our garden anymore, covered as it was in white icy rubble with massive curtains of water sweeping before our eyes. Then I remembered the attic…
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >I ran upstairs to find my desk covered in glass, ice and water. Somehow most of the window had managed to miss it and my laptop and auxiliary screens were still functioning. I stood there, frantically looking from left to right, not knowing exactly what to do first, it was as if a giant tap had been turned on directly above what used to be my work space - water was pouring everywhere. And then, all of a sudden, the rain stopped, and at the same moment the entire neighborhood went pitch black.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >I managed to find a flashlight and went back down to Karin and the kids. They had had a great time watching the storm and had no clue what had happened. We put the children to bed and went upstairs where we cleared the area of glass and actually managed to salvage most of the equipment. We found some flattened cardboard boxes and a couple of planks and went about with hammer and nails.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Later Karin reminded me it might be a good idea to see if the “vigilante” (the private security guys you see guarding street corners in cities across Latin America) had survived the storm. So I went outside and made my way through a thick carpet of leaves and tree-branches, looking at the cars as I passed; windows shattered and round dents in roofs, hoods and hatches. Our security guy was fine and did not need water or cigarettes, so after chatting to him and our neighbor about insurance policies and how both our dogs had taken this weird natural event, I went back inside. It remained dry for the rest of the night and this morning the sun came out and another sunny day started as if nothing had happened…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >The garden, however, told another story, with branches lying all over the place like a jungle floor and the grass dotted with potholes. Power stayed out until midday and with it internet, phone lines and the comforts of working from home. We had enough to do however, especially when we saw what else had happened in those 15 minutes. Roughly 60% of the tiles on our roof had been shattered and our garden furniture was smashed to smithereens. Another window of hardened wire-glass in our garage was hit in three places and had opened up like paper. There were large holes where the ice went straight through and glass shattered all over the cars, which luckily otherwise remained intact. We spent most of the day collecting glass and rubble and it was then that I realized how extremely dependent on all those modern-day comforts I have become.
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<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Still we have been lucky, very lucky in fact. Buenos Aires is not usually prone to serious natural upheavals, apart from a tropical rainstorm every now and then. Other parts of the world are not so well off. Natural disasters are happening more and more often and in many cases have tremendous effects on the world economy, as recently the Financial Times described in an article about the volcanic eruption in Iceland, of which I hereby copy the intro (reply to this post and ask me for an official forward and I will try to send you the entire article!):</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >“(April 16<sup>th</sup> 2010) Volcanic disruption <o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Pandemic flu, blizzards, volcanic eruptions: Mother Nature seems resolved to hurl grit (or fine ash) into the turbine blades of economic recovery. Disruption to international air traffic caused by a rather different Icelandic blow-up from the one 18 months ago is already the most serious since 9/11, and may outstrip it. A Sydney-based consultant, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, forecasts that if the disturbance extends even three more days, it could affect 1m passengers, and cost airlines $1bn in lost revenues. Yet as with other recent natural phenomena, the overall economic impact may ultimately prove insignificant…”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Of course then there is the human aspect of these occurrences, not only for the people directly involved in them, but also for those that know, are related to, or have simply met them at some point. As my formerly Asia-bound colleague Beth says:
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >“…the tsunami that hit Sri-Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia was a disaster on a huge scale, but what struck me about it was the world response. It was the height of the Christmas season and most everyone I know knew someone who was there, heard first hand stories of the day, or had been there themselves in the past. News wasn’t just on the TV, it had happened to someone you knew, millions of first-hand stories were transmitted by word of mouth on a global scale.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" > <o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >I have many great memories of Thailand beach holidays, and essential to these memories are the people I met while I was there – the guys who cracked open fresh coconuts for me on the beach, the father and son who took us out in their fishing boat, the girls making seashell necklaces and running along the beach to sell them – all of these people’s faces came back to me when I heard the news, and I wondered how they were and what they lost. I think that this was the same for everyone, and that this is the reason why the world showed such solidarity. It wasn’t something just effecting international airlines and multi-national hotel chains, it was the guy who made you fresh mango juice on the beach in Ha Tien. Yes, it was all going on far away in a distant land, but it was something we could all relate to on a human scale.”
<br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >This is one of the positive effects of globalization and ever-increasing world travel, we have, and should have, an increased understanding, empathy and solidarity with our world neighbors. Tourism and travel bring great responsibility on many levels, be it related to preservation of natural habitats and heritage or simple material transactions that keep local economies moving. The way in which the world has developed means that many, many people in many countries rely almost entirely on tourism for their livelihood – if this is suddenly cut off, for example by a natural disaster, what happens to them?
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >In our globalized world everyone is connected, and so in turn everything that happens and how we respond has repercussions all around the world. The big volcanic dust cloud recently grounding flights across Europe, has all sorts of myriad effects on people around the world, from the plantation worker in Jamaica to the hotel cleaner in Egypt. As soon as the dust settles the world will be up and flying again, but the effects will continue to be felt, if not by you, by someone else in some distant land that you may one day travel to. This volcano reminds me of all the other disasters in recent years, of Chile, Haiti, New Orleans, Thailand, Sri Lanka… the list goes on. And it reminds me that the privileges and pleasures of travel go hand in hand with a responsibility to the people and the places that we travel to.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Our 15 minute hailstorm was an ever so small taste of the destruction that nature can wreak, and it made me realize just how small we really are, and how futile and vulnerable most of the security-net is that we try to pull up around ourselves. Without that net, how long would we hold? Because without all the 21<sup>st</sup> century shields we reinforce ourselves and our lives with, we are pretty much useless when it comes to surviving in raw natural circumstances. I had to think about “The Road” and wondered what would happen if we had a hailstorm like yesterday’s, but for, say 1 month. …Note to self, must remember to buy batteries and enough freeze-dried food for at least 4 weeks tomorrow!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >…signing off now, just got my internet, home computer network, flat screen TV and media PC working again; and it’s time for some channel surfing with a chilled beer, an ordered in pizza, the pleasant hum of the air conditioning and the already fading notion of a different reality, and how it almost bit me…<o:p></o:p></span></p> Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-81482888406682182772010-04-14T09:20:00.011-04:002010-04-14T10:23:40.813-04:00Brazil, a land of contrasts – Part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S8XFCisTusI/AAAAAAAAAS4/wtdKrQKr7CE/s1600/Pipa.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S8XFCisTusI/AAAAAAAAAS4/wtdKrQKr7CE/s320/Pipa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459986770719652546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Dear Fellow Travelers,<br /><br />Here we go with the next installment of my Northern Brazil adventure!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pipa</span><br /><br />The next day we left for Pipa, close to the town of Natal and some 450 km to the north of Olinda. After driving in the wrong direction again (and this time in broad day light) we thought it might come in handy to have a map of some sort. We had packed hastily for this trip (as we usually do) and some things had sadly been left behind. After several stops at gas stations, supermarkets, and other places where one might expect to be able to buy a map, we finally found one at a local pharmacy where, as it turned out, everybody buys their maps. At least that was the fact in Olinda (at the end of this journey, we stumbled upon the “Giua Cuatro Rodas”, an excellent guidebook, with all kinds of tips, directions and hotel options in the country, along with an excellent road map; so we’re all set for our next trip!). Now it became a lot easier to find our way and within no-time we entered the famous BR101 highway. The BR101 is undergoing many repairs these days, so long stretches are “en obras” (under construction), which means our trip took a little longer than expected and we arrived to Pipa after dark, yet again. Another thing we quickly came to realize is that even though we were visiting a neighboring country of our beautifully southern hemispheric Argentina, we had come quite close to the equator, and the sun here sets at 6.30pm sharp, something to take into account if you are planning a full-day’s drive.<br /><br />Pipa turned out to be amazing. Lovely beaches circled by high cliffs, lagoons, Atlantic forest and dolphins. Pipa has cobbled streets and good surfing beaches, in addition to a lake full of manatees (in neighboring Tibau do Sul). It is an old hippy colony and was recently discovered by Brazil’s traveling youth. Even though the town can get a bit crowded at night it remains a beautiful little spot to relax and enjoy nature.<br /><br />We spent our days here walking along one of the beaches, spotting dolphins from a small speedboat, and eating… The place was called Panela do Barro and we went back three times. Located in the heart of town, sitting on the cliff, overlooking Pipa’s central beach, their seafood Moqueca is a feast. The ways various African, Portuguese and indigenous ingredients, and cooking methods have merged through the centuries to create this wondrous dish I cannot describe, but man it was good! I really need to get that recipe, or better still, find me a good Brazilian restaurant in town… It can be said though; food in Brazil is GOOD!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Porto Galinhas</span><br /><br />From Pipa we moved on to Porto Galinhas, which was not really worth visiting. Supposedly home to the best beach in Brazil, the town changed from a fishing village into the playground of Brazil’s rich and famous and later became a popular vacation spot for domestic travelers. The town has a questionable history as the “chicken port”, so called by the Portuguese during the time when the English started getting bossy and imposing their power to try and force the Portuguese to abolish slavery - just as the rest of the world had done before. On paper, Porto Galinhas was a port where poultry and other livestock arrived from Europe, but that was only to deceive the British; what actually came off the boats was slave trade business as usual, and it would go on like that for many more years. Today Porto Galinhas does not have too much to offer to the discerning traveler. We relaxed in one of the huge resorts there for a couple of days, but were happy to move on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Praia do Forte</span><br /><br />Praia do Forte on the other hand was a very nice surprise. We stayed in the Tivoli Eco-Resort, which is a pleasure in itself, and explored the surrounding area from there.<br /><br />The Tamar Project (TAMAR being short for Tartaruga Marinha, Portuguese for Sea Turtle) is definitely worth a visit. The story of marine conservation in Brazil coincides with the creation of the TAMAR Program. Seventeen years ago the Federal Government, in tune with international demand and increasing environmental awareness in Brazilian society, began to adopt measures aimed at marine protection. In the beginning of the 1980s, the Brazilian Institute of Forestry Development (IBDF), created the TAMAR Program with the objective of protecting sea turtles in Brazil. The work started in Bahia (Praia do Forte), Espírito Santo (Comboios) and Sergipe (Pirambú), and was then extended nationwide. The project focused on the identification of different species, their main nesting sites, their reproduction period, and the main socio-economic problems related to the exploitation of sea turtles by the coastal residents. Technical staff spent two years traveling along the Brazilian coastline gathering information. In 1982 and 1986, SUDEPE (the Fishing Development Agency) passed regulations prohibiting the capture of all species of turtle.<br /><br />From April through November one can also go out to sea to spot Humpback Whales, something that I would love to do. Unfortunately, we arrived off-season this time, but I will certainly go back one day to see these wondrous creatures.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lencois</span><br /><br />From Praia do Forte we decided to escape Carnaval (absolutely a great party, but a little too much with two small kids) and head for Lencois, some 450 km inland. Until 1996 this was the wild, wild, west where some 80,000 people tried their luck at discovering diamonds. Lawlessness ruled and the area was notoriously unsafe and environmentally irresponsible. Come the mid 90’s the Federal Government decided enough was enough and diamond mining in Lencois was made illegal. The area almost immediately shifted to tourism for its income, and today Lencois, and the few towns surrounding it, are the heart of the Chapada Diamantina National Park. This is a beautiful area of natural springs, waterfalls, weird rock formations, quaint little towns and large underground cave-systems that can all be visited from Lencois.<br /><br />We found all ranges of accommodation in the village, but relatively few people seem to know about it, or make the decision to go there, so the whole place is very calm and tranquil. Lencois is also a place where all races seem to be living together in perfect balance (from what we saw at least) and it is throughout a very safe and pleasant place to be. We walked through the outskirts of town after dark with our two small children without ever having the feeling that we should start being careful. We have been around the block a bit in this continent, so our antennae are attuned, but here we felt perfectly at ease. Talks with locals confirmed this feeling; Lencois is one of the safest places to travel. Combine this with a great surrounding area for hiking and sight-seeing and you have one fantastic destination to add to your list of Brazil must-sees.<br /><br />Happy trails,<br /><br />Bart<br /><br />Ps I just had a look at our webpage and came across this aptly named package to Northern Brazil visiting Salvador, Lencois and Praia do Forte -<a href="http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil/salvador-and-the-beauty-of-bahia"> Salvador and the Beauty of Bahia</a>Bart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19799828.post-89379977179382641592010-03-16T09:47:00.003-03:002010-03-16T09:52:56.176-03:00Brazil, a Land of Contrasts - Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S59-1PFdb0I/AAAAAAAAASA/TM53-pBla_g/s1600-h/Olinda.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JKnIdCFC5jM/S59-1PFdb0I/AAAAAAAAASA/TM53-pBla_g/s320/Olinda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449213527189188418" border="0" /></a><br />Greetings fellow travelers!<br /><br />After my last brief trip to Brazil, I decided I had to go back and explore some more. So, last month I did just that - this time around I had a whole month, plus a car full of kids! Here is Part 1 of my latest Brazil adventure.<br /><br />Brazil (http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil/information) is a truly developing country. There is a constant buzz about it that cannot be denied. You only need to drive along one of its main highways, such as the BR101, to realize that. Trucks, trucks and more trucks, and they’re all over the place! As we tried to get from Recife to Olinda it was still ok, but when driving north to the beautiful coastal town of Pipa it was a mad house. Unbelievable amounts of trucks, carrying anything from sugar cane to cars, entire bridges and other unidentifiable loads transported from A to B in huge bulk. I mean, they are going places, you know? This is a country on the move. No wonder they got the first two letters in BRIC…<br /><br />I am not sure to what extent this busyness has to do with Lula, the current president that has done so much for Brazil’s working classes, and who has truly made a first attempt to bring the country up from a feudal landowners’ state to an industrialized nation. I have not been here long, or often enough to make that distinction, and that was one of the reasons we decided to make this trip: to get to know Brazil better, even if only a part of it.<br /><br />As we do every year, Karin and I took the kids during their school vacation for a one-month inspection trip, and this time we decided to go and explore a part of the North of Brazil. So, at the end of January we flew to Recife and picked up the car we had booked for the trip. We had agreed not to stay in Recife, but drive on to Olinda all in one go. Of course we did not count on one of our connecting GOL flights being late, forcing us to take a later flight on our last stretch of the journey, arriving in Recife close to midnight. The car rental pace was still open, but by that time it was pitch dark outside. Still we had a place booked for us in Olinda and it was only a 30 minute drive away, so we decided to wing it. We immediately set off in the wrong direction, ending up on the Litoral Sul towards Salvador, where we weren’t supposed to be going until well over a week later. There are not that many signs on Brazilian roads (well actually there are lots and lots of them, but most do not seem to have anything to do with traffic), but after a while we figured out we were heading in the wrong direction and eventually found a way to turn around without causing an accident. Then, somehow, we got into the right flow of traffic and it seemed everybody was headed to Olinda. From that moment on we got a better feel of where we were as we crisscrossed the canals and rivers that thread through that part of Recife. The town was founded by the Dutch Prince Maurice (The Dutch settled in this part of Brazil for some 22 years between Portuguese occupations) and he must have been homesick for Amsterdam when he had this part of town designed. All of a sudden we were in Olinda, we drove straight through town, made one more u-turn, drove right past our hotel, hit the brakes hard, avoiding a couple of buses racing by, put the car in reverse and finally made it to our destination.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Olinda</span><br /><br />Olinda happens to be the old capital of Brazil, and today it is a world heritage site. The town is a maze of cobbled streets, hills crowned with brilliant white churches, pastel-colored houses, Baroque fountains and graceful squares. It is a nice picturesque place with many beautiful old churches and beautifully maintained colonial houses. Walking through the old town I got the feeling of being warped back in time to the days when sugar cane ruled the world economy.<br /><br />The beaches close to town aren’t the most attractive, but if you have the time go and see the ones to the north, they are much better.<br /><br />On our first morning we took the car out for a spin around town to get a feel for the place. We hadn’t quite covered 300 meters when a guy almost threw himself in front of the car, standing up straight, with a commanding hand held high in the air. We kind of took him to be a cop, but he was wearing shorts and a green t-shirt, so that was odd. Against my instincts I brought the car to a halt, and the “cop” took out what I thought to be his notebook. It was in fact a map of the city, and the guy turned out to be a guide. So our second lesson was that Brazilians can be quite direct and persuasive, and one should not always automatically respond to that. Saying “nao, obrigado” (no thanks) and walking or driving on will usually do the trick. Unless you are dealing with a real cop of course, in which case it is better to stop and be cooperative. FYI, in Olinda lots of people offer themselves as city guides. Those wearing yellow t-shirts with the words "Guia Mirim" written on the back and laminated ID cards are official guides.<br /><br />A third thing that comes in handy is some basic understanding of the Portuguese language as many people speak nothing but it. We only encountered extremely friendly people when asking for directions, but most of their well-meant tips and explanations, sadly passed us by, as our Spanish was not of much use either. It was fun to be in that situation again though, where you never really know for sure if you got the gist of a conversation or not. It reminded me of the time in 1997 when we were driving across the Peruvian Andes, speaking only very little Spanish and asking local peasants who only spoke the native Aymara language for directions; that combined with them being used to traveling on foot, and having a profoundly different sense of time, made us agree to ask the same set of directions over and over again until we had met at least three people all pointing in the same direction… We got lost so many times on that trip that the fact, in itself, has stopped worrying me.<br /><br />Happy trails!<br /><br />BartBart de Graafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02427071224352774350noreply@blogger.com2